Trans Military

The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT)” allowed lesbian, gay and bisexual people to serve, but transgender Americans were still banned until June 30, 2016. Then, on July 26, 2017 President Trump unexpectedly announced via Twitter that he would be reinstating the ban, thereby thrusting transgender service members back into the media spotlight and creating uncertainty amongst the ranks. Today, despite no of cial policy directive (at time of print), while trans service members can remain on active duty, their futures are undetermined. This panel features media and advocacy experts who will explore the ways in which journalists can uncover the truth around the reality of transgender troops. Given transgender people are twice as likely to serve than their cisgender counterparts, and no other organization in America employs more transgender people than the U.S. military, panelists will highlight distinctions between covering service members and transgender civilians.