Pentagon to Reverse Trump-era Transgender Policies

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby announced the Pentagon will reverse many of the U.S. military's Trump-era transgender policies on Wednesday, March 31, which is also known as Transgender Day of Visibility. The new regulations allow transgender people who meet military standards to enlist and serve in their self-identified gender, and they will be able to get medically necessary transition-related care authorized by law, Kirby said. The new policies come after President Joe Biden issued a two-month Pentagon review to develop guidelines for the new policy shortly after he took office in January. Biden’s executive order also prohibited any service member from being forced out of the military on the basis of gender identity and prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. The new regulations will take effect in 30 days. Outlets from across the political spectrum covered the story and detailed the history of the military's transgender policy. Right- and center-rated outlets tended to compare the Biden administration's transgender policies to former President Donald Trump's.