Five transgender troops with more than 20 years of distinguished service were forced into retirement because of the Trump administration’s renewed transgender military ban. Retired General Stanley McChrystal and elected officials honored the troops in a special ceremony in Washington, DC hosted by the Human Rights Campaign. “We’ve got to leverage every bit of talent that this nation has,” the retired general told trans troops who were forced out of the military by the Trump administration. Congresswoman Sarah McBride of Delaware, the nation’s first out transgender member of Congress, called the policy that forced the retirees out “immoral,” “unfair,” and “un-American,” and reminding the room that “service is not diminished by authenticity — it is enhanced by it.”
The retirement ceremony was part of the Human Rights Campaign’s Equality Forum which included a policy panel titled Serving With Pride: The Future of LGBTQ+ Veterans’ Benefits & Recognition. The day concluded with the retirement ceremony honoring the five transgender service members.
