WASHINGTON—In response to President Trump’s announcement that he will ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military in any capacity, People For the American Way Vice President for Communications and Research Drew Courtney released the following statement:

“Transgender people who serve in our military deserve our gratitude and respect, and it’s appalling that President Trump is treating them so cruelly and so cynically. President Trump claimed to be an ally to the LGBTQ community, but he has since shown that he’s more than willing to use bigotry and hate when it serves his own short term interests. Once again, Trump has proven he is willing to sacrifice our country’s values in order to score a few political points.

“Transgender people in our military have repeatedly demonstrated their character, their integrity and their love of our country. Donald Trump has never demonstrated anything of the sort.”

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.

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