Rachel Maddow took a look at yesterday's historic announcement lifting the ban on transgender troops, allowing trans people to serve openly “effective immediately.”
Maddow started by talking about Bill Clinton's early days in office when gays in the military consumed his first week, and the catastrophic compromise that ensued – Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
Which, of course, was undone by President Obama, whose strategy to do so was questioned at many points along the way. And it is Obama that should take the credit for that as well as the lifting of the transgender ban…along with another thing – service members who have been willing to come out and bravely declare they are transgender.
Says Maddow of the DADT repeal and the lifting of the trans ban:
“Both of them share this recognition that isn't always reflected in the politics around these issues, but which is very very evident in the reality of military service, which is that…these folks are already there. They're already there in place. The end of DADT wasn't about letting gay people into the military. Gay people were already in the military. And the end of this policy won't be letting trans people into the military. They're already there…in considerable numbers.”
Watch:
