Reps. Sara Jacobs, Eric Sorensen Reintroduce Bill to Prevent Trans Military Ban Ahead of Donald Trump’s Inauguration
Ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Co-Chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force, and Rep. Eric Sorensen (IL-07) reintroduced legislation that would prevent discriminatory policies like a transgender military service ban or “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The Ensuring Military Readiness Not Discrimination Act, commonly referred to as “the Truman Amendment,” builds on the progress of President Truman’s historic 1948 executive orders and would prohibit discrimination in the military and protect transgender service members.
The legislation has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, SPARTA, and the Modern Military Association of America.
Rep. Sara Jacobs said: “Kicking nearly 15,000 service members out of the military solely because of their identity would be catastrophic to our military readiness and recruitment. If the incoming Trump Administration reinstates the transgender military ban and discharges all trans service members, it would take 20 years and cost $18 billion to replace the talent and expertise we’ve lost. That’s why I’m so proud to reintroduce the Ensuring Military Readiness Not Discrimination Act, which would ensure that Donald Trump can’t enact discriminatory policies in the military with the stroke of a pen or a tweet. We will keep working to ensure that anyone willing and able to serve our country can do so without facing discrimination, violence, or fewer benefits.”
“Anyone willing and able to sacrifice to defend our country should be able to do so without fear of discrimination—period,” said Rep. Eric Sorensen. “This bill ensures that no one is turned away for who they are, strengthening our military by allowing every qualified American to serve with dignity. As the first openly LGBTQ+ member elected from Illinois, I’m proud to stand with all our Illinois service members who make our military the strongest and best in the world.”
David Stacy, Human Rights Campaign’s Vice President for Government Affairs said: “The highly qualified and trained members of our nation’s military, who sacrifice so much for the country, deserve dignity, honor, and respect. But too often, LGBTQ+ servicemembers face discrimination that drives away good talent and undermines our national security. Every American is made safer when our military is able to recruit and retain the best people for the job. This important legislation is a key step forward to ensure that those who step up to serve are treated with the dignity and respect they are owed.”
Brenda S. “Sue” Fulton, Army veteran, Founding Member and Senior Advisor to SPARTA said: “This bill represents a major step towards ensuring our military's readiness by enshrining the right that all Americans who meet the qualifications may serve, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or sexual characteristics. This bill will keep trained and experienced personnel in uniform, including 15,000 transgender service members, as well as enable the military to continue to recruit the best and brightest regardless of gender. A broader talent pool makes a stronger military.”
Rachel Branaman, Executive Director of Modern Military Association of America said: “Modern Military Association of America advocates for the principle of equal opportunity in military service. We believe that all qualified individuals, regardless of their race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and sex characteristics such as intersex traits), should have the opportunity to serve their country. Legislatively protecting this principle by prohibiting discrimination based on these factors is crucial to building a strong and inclusive military that can effectively recruit, train, and retain the most talented and capable individuals.”
Luke Schleusener, Co-Founder and the CEO, Out in National Security said: “The EMRND Act guarantees equal treatment to all Americans servicing in uniform, making a critical contribution to our overall readiness. This guarantee to all who love and seek to serve their nation will reduce the recruitment and retention crisis so that we are ready to meet the complex challenges of the world today and tomorrow.”
###