California National Guard Will Push Back Against Trump's Trans Ban

President Trump’s policy banning transgender soldiers from joining the military has finally gone into effect — but the California National Guard is pushing back.

“Anybody who is willing and able to serve state [and] nation should have the opportunity to serve,” Major General Matthew Beevers told The Hill.

The Trump administration continues to claim that the ban on transgender troops isn’t actually a ban on transgender troops at all, since any who are currently enlisted and have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria or have transitioned will be able to remain.

However, anyone who has already transitioned or is in the process of doing so, will no longer be able to enlist — unless they are willing to serve as their birth gender. Similarly, anyone currently enlisted who is diagnosed with gender dysphoria in the future will only be allowed to serve as their birth gender.

But Beevers, who is one of the highest ranking officers of the California National Guard, has indicated that officials in charge there are interested in pursuing the exceptions and waivers that may be available to continue to allow transgender people to join up.

“We intend to exercise every available avenue inside the policy and out, to ensure transgendered people who want to serve the California National Guard are afforded the opportunity to serve,” he said.

“It’s unconscionable in my mind that we would fundamentally discriminate against a certain class of people based on their gender identity. That should be the absolute least of our worries.”