Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pentagon Bars Openly Transgender Troops From Serving Their Country
The Washington Post: Pentagon Says Transgender Troops Will Be Removed From U.S. Military
Openly transgender service members will be disqualified from serving in the U.S. military and will soon be removed from the ranks, according to a Pentagon memo that marks a significant shift from previous Defense Department policy that prohibited discrimination based on gender identity. The memo was made public Wednesday as part of a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ+ rights groups against an executive order signed last month by President Donald Trump, which stated that the “medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria” are “inconsistent” with the high standards expected of U.S. troops. (Timsit, 2/27)
The New York Times: Number Of Trans Troops Far Lower Than Estimated, Pentagon Figures Show
The military released on Thursday the number of transgender troops currently serving in the armed forces, revealing a population much smaller than recent estimates. Currently, according to those figures, 4,240 people in the military — about 0.2 percent of the 2 million people in uniform — have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. That diagnosis is the best way the military has of tracking the number of trans troops in the force. Previous estimates usually put the number of trans troops at about 15,000. (Philipps, 2/27)
The New York Times: Meet The Trans Troops The Trump Administration Is Barring
The troops interviewed — three pilots, an explosives expert, a special operations officer, a nuclear reactor supervisor, a flight nurse, a missile battery commander and others — said they have faced some institutional barriers and heard a few cutting comments. But mostly, they say, they have been treated with respect. Their leadership has supported them, their peers have accepted them, and they have earned good performance reviews and promotions. Officers and troops who are not trans said in interviews they had not seen any negative impact from trans troops. (Philipps, 2/27)
Also —
Newsweek: Donald Trump Suffers Legal Setback Over Transgender Order
A Maryland judge has extended a restraining order that prevents President Donald Trump's administration from cutting funding to hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors. The temporary restraining order is in place until March 5, but U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson has said he may decide to grant a preliminary injunction before that date. (2/27)
ABC News: Major Medical Groups Push Back Against Trump Administration's Definition Of Sex And Gender
Some major medical associations are pushing back against the Department of Health and Human Services' updated definitions of biological sex in federal policy in the wake of President Donald Trump's executive order. ... "There is extensive scientific research that supports the complexity of sex and gender beyond binary classifications," American Psychological Association CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., Ph.D., told ABC News in a statement. "The new restrictive definition of sex ignores decades of science, increasing harm to youth and families, while undermining critical mental health outcomes." (Vaez, 2/27)
The Guardian: US Threatens Permanent Visa Bans On Trans Athletes Based On Sex Markers
The US state department has ordered officials worldwide to deny visas to transgender athletes attempting to come to the US for sports competitions and to issue permanent visa bans against those who are deemed to misrepresent their birth sex on visa applications. (Gedeon, 2/25)
On transgender legislation in Iowa and Missouri —
The New York Times: Iowa Lawmakers Pass Bill To Eliminate Transgender Civil Rights Protections
Iowa lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill on Thursday that would end state civil rights protections for transgender people. Advocates for L.G.B.T.Q. rights said that Iowa would become the first state to remove such broad and explicit protections for trans people if the Republican-backed measure was signed into law. The bill, which now goes to the desk of the Republican governor, passed 18 years after the state, then led by Democrats, enshrined those discrimination protections into Iowa code. (Smith, 2/27)
Missouri Independent: Missouri Senate Passes Bill To Remove Expiration Date On Transgender Health Care Ban
Legislation that would remove the expiration date on a pair of laws affecting transgender minors passed the Missouri Senate Thursday after a fight by Senate Democrats. It now heads to the Missouri House for consideration. The bill in question, which contained a litany of provisions removing sunset dates for various programs, would make permanent a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and restrictions on transgender athletes in public schools. (Hanshaw, 2/27)
Call the Trevor Project LGBTQ+ crisis hotline —
The Trevor Project Lifeline provides counseling support for LGBTQ+ young people 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call them at 1-866-488-7386.
