Trump rolls back transgender blanket military ban

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump late Friday rolled back his blanket ban on transgender people serving in the military -- but they will still face major restrictions in the American armed forces.

Trump signed a memorandum in August that effectively barred transgender people from the military but the ban faced multiple legal challenges.

The White House has now come back with a modified version of the original plan -- as with Trump's efforts to ban travelers from several Muslim-majority countries, which was repeatedly challenged in court.

"I hereby revoke my memorandum of August 25, 2017, 'Military Service by Transgender Individuals,' and any other directive I may have made with respect to military service by transgender individuals," Trump's new memorandum said. Trump instead sought to shift responsibility to two of his cabinet secretaries.

"The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, with respect to the US Coast Guard, may exercise their authority to implement any appropriate policies concerning military service by transgender individuals," the memorandum said.

Trump's memorandum said the two cabinet secretaries recommended people diagnosed with gender dysphoria be barred from military service. The Defense Department released a copy of a report with further details on the restrictions outlined in the memorandum.

"Transgender persons who have not transitioned to another gender and do not have a history or current diagnosis of gender dysphoria... are eligible for service" if they meet mental and physical health standards and "are capable of adhering to the standards associated with their biological sex," the report said.

People who have undergone gender transition treatment are barred because it may not "fully remedy... the mental health problems associated with gender dysphoria," the report said, also noting the time required for treatment.

"Although the precise number is unknown, the department recognizes that many transgender persons could be disqualified under this policy," it said.

The number of transgender troops among America´s approximately 1.3 million active duty service members is fairly small, with estimates topping out at 15,000. There are some exceptions to the restrictions: people who have a history of gender dysphoria may join the military if they "can demonstrate 36 consecutive months of stability -- i.e. absence of gender dysphoria -- immediately preceding their application," the report said.