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July 1, 2016

Pentagon to Lift Ban on Transgender People Serving Openly in Military
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Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has announced the Pentagon is ending its
ban on transgender people serving openly in the U.S. military.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter: "Our mission is to defend this country,
and we don't want barriers unrelated to a person's qualification to
serve preventing us from recruiting or retaining the soldier, sailor,
airman or marine who can best accomplish the mission. We have to have
access to 100 percent of America's population for our all-volunteer
force to be able to recruit from among them the most highly qualified
and to retain them."

Under the new rules, the military will provide all healthcare, including
surgery, to transgender troops. Many hailed the decision as a step