WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States will study options over the next six months that could see transgender persons openly serve in the US military, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced.
“The Department of Defense will create a working group to study over the next six months the policy and readiness implications of welcoming transgender persons to serve openly,” Carter said on Monday.
Carter explained the working group will start with the presumption that “transgender persons can serve openly without adverse impact on military effectiveness and readiness.”
At present, the United States imposes a ban on transsexuals serving in the military. Any soldier who is opening transsexual can be administratively discharged.
In 2011, the Department of Defense lifted its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy banning openly serving gays.
