A Toronto-based transgender former member of the U.S. Navy and Marines says Donald Trump doesnât understand the meaning of the acronym âLGBT,â following his Twitter announcement that trans people will not be allowed to serve in the military.
âHis lack of understanding is seriously harmful,â military vet and activist Rachel Lauren Clark told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel on Thursday. âI think that he doesnât understand that the âTâ in âLGBT communityâ stands for trans people. I think he just thinks that everyone is gay and lesbian.â
Clark is among the many members of the LGBT community who are condemning Trumpâs decision to ban transgender people from military service âin any capacity,â in a move he announced on Twitter Wednesday morning. Trumpâs decision came just over a year after he voiced for the LGBT community, tweeting: âI will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms.â
In addition to condemning Trumpâs decision, Clark harshly criticized the president for announcing the policy via social media, without providing further guidance to his own staff who have been unable to offer details on the rollout.
âI donât think anyone should hear about their job on Twitter,â Clark said, calling it a âvery unprofessional thingâ to do on the presidentâs part. âWhat do you do when you go to work the next day and you donât know what the president means when he tweets these things?â
Clark points out that the U.S. military employs nearly 2,500 trans people, and has been a viable career option for many who otherwise have had difficulty finding work. âThis has a devastating effect on our community,â she said.
The White House has not released full details on when or how the presidentâs tweets might be enforced.