White House to direct Pentagon on transgender ban in military

The White House will be sending guidance to the Pentagon on the implementation of United States President Donald Trump's proposal to ban transgender people from serving in the military.

According to The Wall Street Journal, a White House memo will direct the defence department on details related to Trump's intention to bar transgender people from being admitted to the military.

The new policy will allow defence secretary James Mattis to consider a service member's ability to deploy in deciding whether to remove them from the military.

Trump had announced in July this year that transgenders, in any capacity, won't be allowed to serve the military saying that their inclusion would entail "disruption" in the military affairs

Trump, in a series of tweets, said that he arrived at this decision after holding consultations with military generals and experts.

"After consultation with my generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," he said.

"Our military must be focussed on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you," he added.

Last year, former defence secretary Ash Carter had said that those transgenders, who are already in the military can serve openly, and directed the officials to come up with a policy to allow transgender recruitment by July 1.

But defence secretary Jim Mattis announced a delay in the implementation on June 30.

According to an estimate by American think tank Rand Corporation, there were 2,450 out of the 1.2 million transgenders, who are on active-duty service.

-ANI