Since taking office, President Joe Biden has been moving quickly to undo his predecessor’s policies through executive orders.
From taking actions to reverse former President Donald Trump’s executive orders on border wall construction to his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, Biden has signed over two dozen executive orders in less than a week — a record pace.
On Monday, Biden signed another executive order taking aim at Trump’s 2017 ban on new recruitment of transgender individuals serving in the military. The ban allowed currently serving transgender individuals to continue their service.
“President Biden believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America’s strength is found in its diversity,” a White House statement said of the decision to undo Trump’s ban.
It added, “Allowing all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform is better for the military and better for the country because an inclusive force is a more effective force. Simply put, it’s the right thing to do and is in our national interest.”
Watch the video below:
JUST IN: President Biden signs executive order lifting Trump's transgender military ban https://t.co/IXXP14ygLv pic.twitter.com/73rCpNwD7y
— The Hill (@thehill) January 25, 2021
Check out some of the reactions:
By prioritizing an end to this discriminatory, unjustified ban, President Biden has fulfilled a campaign promise and is making our military stronger and more unified.
— GLAAD (@glaad) January 25, 2021
Discrimination should have no place in our federal government.
— ACLU (@ACLU) January 25, 2021
We will monitor the implementation of this action and work with the Biden administration to quickly eliminate any remaining barriers to full participation for transgender service members and our clients.
This is big news: President Biden just lifted the Trump administration’s heinous, discriminatory ban on transgender Americans serving in our military. Trans rights are human rights!
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 25, 2021
When soldiers defend this country, they don’t choose which of us they would die to protect. They fight for us all. The very least we can do is offer them that same dignity and respect. Thank you @JoeBiden for repealing the ban on transgender military service.
— Joe Kennedy III (@joekennedy) January 25, 2021
BREAKING: President Biden has ended the ban on transgender military service set in place under the Trump administration.
— HRC 🥥🌴 (@HRC) January 25, 2021
A grateful nation salutes all who have served and hoped for this moment.
.@POTUS's EO corrects a shameful policy by the previous admin & an ignominious chapter in US history. Our #TransMilitary servicemembers put their lives on the line for us, we owe them respect. I will intro legislation to ensure they will never again be targets of discrimination. pic.twitter.com/pcwlQbvCWv
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) January 25, 2021
This makes our country stronger. https://t.co/RiHImIYceu
— Congressmember Bass (@RepKarenBass) January 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/jonlovett/status/1353741052788793345
Both the smart and right thing to do. https://t.co/ZYg93ao4Jv
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 25, 2021
The only thing that matters when it comes to allowing military personnel to serve is whether or not they can do the job. This executive order is great news – tolerance and diversity make our country and our military stronger. https://t.co/Mw9bZgld6y
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) January 25, 2021
When Donald Trump cruelly implemented his discriminatory ban via tweet in 2016, over 14,000 transgender people were serving in the military.
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@RepMarkPocan) January 25, 2021
Today, President Biden rights a wrong and ensures that no one’s gender identity disqualifies them from serving our nation. https://t.co/fLUikM2Xtt
Patriotism knows no gender nor orientation.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 25, 2021
Ending the transgender military ban is another vital step in restoring America’s promise of equality.
Anyone with the courage and sense of duty to serve this country should be allowed to do so — with our thanks and gratitude. https://t.co/2zY1qfPyx8
#MondayMotivation: Diversity & inclusion prevail as @POTUS @JoeBiden repeals Trump's ban on transgender people serving openly in the military.https://t.co/1iWV68ZFPo
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) January 25, 2021
When Trump announced the ban, he claimed the military needed to focus on “decisive and overwhelming victory” and claimed transgender service members would impose “tremendous medical costs and disruption.”
In November 2020, the nonpartisan Palm Center published a study that found ban “has harmed military readiness.”
“The overall impact of the ban has been to harm readiness by compromising recruitment, reputation, retention, unit cohesion, morale, medical care, and good order and discipline,” the report said.