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January 26, 2021

President Biden Reverses Trump's Transgender Military Service Ban
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President Biden has signed an executive order repealing the Trump
administration's ban on transgender people serving in the military.
Biden also ordered the Pentagon to review the files of troops who were
forced out because of the ban and to immediately halt discharges of
transgender troops now serving. Lieutenant Colonel Bree Fram, vice
president of the transgender military advocacy organization SPART*A,
welcomed the news. 

Lt. Col. Bree Fram: "We believe with four or eight more years of open
service, looking back, you'll see a military without transgender people
just as unconscionable as one would be, without other minorities that
are serving today."

Puerto Rico's governor has declared a state of emergency over
gender-based violence, following at least 60 incidents of femicide
reported in 2020. Six of the murders were of trans women.

Meanwhile right-wing state lawmakers in Montana, North Dakota and South
Dakota are pushing a number of new anti-trans bills. We'll have more on
the fight over trans rights after headlines with the ACLU's Chase
Stangio.


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