Are LGBTQ+ rights in jeopardy?

“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,” President Donald Trump stated via Twitter on July 26, 2017.

Through just a series of tweets, Trump attempted to reverse the Obama-era policy already approved by the Defense Department that allowed for transgender individuals to openly serve in various military branches.

“I think him [Trump] doing that was really stupid,” Molly Brennan, president of the LBTQ+ Alliance club said. “If people want to serve, then why not let them? And doing it on Twitter is really disrespectful and distasteful.”

Four federal judges and two courts of appeal ruled against the attempted ban. Trump decided not to appeal further.

In his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump promised to support the LBTQ+ community. However, it seems that his actions as president differ.  

In February, the Trump administration revoked the protective guidelines made under the Obama administration that allowed for transgender students in the public school system to use bathrooms and facilities corresponding with their chosen gender identity. The Title IX anti-discrimination laws from 1972 was deemed applicable to transgender students under Obama’s time in office in regards to bathroom access. Yet Trump’s executive order stated that individual states and school districts could choose their own policies in the issue.

“Trump not letting them use the bathroom of their gender is problematic because one, who’s going to enforce that? And two, they didn’t choose a gender,” Brennan said. “It’s unfair of him to not allow certain people to use public restrooms based on their gender versus their gender at birth.”