Palm Center Statement on Biden Administration's New Inclusive Transgender Military Policy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - March 31, 2021 - Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, issued the following statement in response to the Biden administration's release of a new policy on military service by transgender individuals:

"We have consistently said that restoring a policy of full inclusion for transgender troops would be straightforward, and the Biden administration has now done that, just as it promised from the start. This is a big step toward making our military stronger and fairer, and it recognizes years of research showing that a single standard for all service members improves readiness and allows for the widest possible pool of qualified personnel. We will continue to monitor the re-integration of transgender troops, and to help ensure that every American willing and able to serve has the opportunity to defend their country."

According to the Department of Defense, the new policy allows qualified transgender individuals to join and serve openly in the military and ensures full access to medically necessary health care, as federal law requires for all service members.

The Palm Center has created a series of brief memos and reports explaining Pentagon policy on service by transgender individuals. They include:

• "The Making of a Ban," which explains the details of the 2019 transgender ban.

• "Blueprint for Immediate Restoration of Inclusive Transgender Military Policy," which explains why everything needed for inclusive service remained fully a part of military regulations, since the Trump Pentagon had to leave guidance in place to govern grandfathered troops.

• A 2020 report co-authored by three former military surgeons general assessing the impact of the ban and finding that it "compromis[ed] recruitment, reputation, retention, unit cohesion, morale, medical care, and good order and discipline."

For more information, including a timeline of key developments, opinion polling, and other data, see this memo or visit our recent publications page.

About The Palm Center

The Palm Center is an independent, non-partisan research institute that conducts scholarly analysis of U.S. military personnel policy, with an emphasis on LGBT populations. Our research has been published in leading scholarly journals and our expert analysis is regularly covered in all forms of media worldwide. In providing clear explanations of key data and developments in our reports, memos, statements, op-eds, blog, and social media, we serve as a trusted resource for journalists, policymakers, service members, scholars, students, and the public. For more information, visit www.palmcenter.org and follow us on Twitter @ThePalmCenter.