Hoyer on Trump’s Transgender Military Ban: The Commander-in-Chief is “Dead, Flat Wrong”

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined Rep. Joe Kennedy (MA-04), Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus's Transgender Equality Task Force; members of the LGBT Equality Caucus; and community advocates to speak out against President Trump's harmful ban on transgender Americans serving in our military. Below is a transcript of his remarks:

"This is not a new fight. We’ve been here before. We were here in the 40s, in the last century, that the military would be undermined if African Americans served side-by-side. That assertion was wrong. Trump’s assertion today is wrong. Two weeks ago, the House rejected a measure that discriminated against transgender Americans serving in our military. My party was unanimous, unanimous in rejecting that premise.

“Yesterday, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen, said ‘there is no reason why transgender Americans shouldn’t serve openly in uniform.’ The former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen. Today’s tweets by President Trump banning transgender military service go against the Pentagon’s transgender advice, that the service of transgender Americans will not create problems and is, in fact, in the best interest of national defense. The Commander-in-Chief, in this instance, is dead, flat wrong.

“This attempted ban will weaken our security by depriving the military of dedicated and talented recruits. Thousands of transgender Americans are serving openly with distinction. I was proud, as the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, to bring legislation to the Floor as Majority Leader in 2010 to end ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ There were some who rung their hands and said if you do that our services are going to be deeply divided and undermined. They, like the President, were dead wrong. I am, and I know the Members with whom I serve, are going to continue working with my colleagues to make our military as strong and as inclusive as possible. It is in America’s best interest, and it is the right thing to do.

“Thank you for letting me have this opportunity to join so many of my colleagues and courageous Americans who speak out for equality and effectiveness in our military.”