WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday overturned former President Donald Trump's policy that aimed to ban transgender troops from service in the U.S. military.
In his executive order, Biden said, "Allowing all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform is better for the military and better for the country because an inclusive force is a more effective force."
According to a statement from the White House: "Simply put, it's the right thing to do and is in our national interest."
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in a statement, added, "I fully support the President's direction that all transgender individuals who wish to serve in the United States military and can meet the appropriate standards shall be able to do so openly and free from discrimination."
LGBT Life Center Executive Director Stacie Walls says Biden's executive order is a big deal.
"To have somebody that said he was going to do this and then to actually have it happen is a step in the right direction," she said. "I think allowing transgender Americans to serve openly in the United States makes all of us stronger. It makes them better service members. It makes the military a better service as a whole."
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith of Washington applauded the change.
In a statement, he said the order "underscores the immense value of each and every man and woman who serves or will serve our country in uniform, regardless of their sex assigned at birth."
LGBT advocacy groups estimate that there are 15,000 transgender men and women currently serving in the U.S. military and in support roles.