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This Congressman Is Leading the Fight Against Trump's Trans Military Ban

Massachusetts Rep. Joseph Kennedy III will introduce a resolution in Congress rejecting the ban.

Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III of Massachusetts (yes, that famed Kennedy family) is leading the charge against the Trump administration's transgender military ban in the United States Congress, reports The Washington Blade.

Kennedy—a Democrat who chairs the Congressional Transgender Task Force and reps Massachusetts' 4th congressional district—introduced a non-binding resolution to his fellow representatives this Monday, February 11, against the transphobic policy.

A Kennedy aide told The Blade that more than 100 cosponsors have signed off on the resolution; more are expected to join in.

In a statement, Kennedy confirmed his plans for the resolution, adding that "no one willing to serve in our armed services and sacrifice for this country should be subjected to intolerance and bigotry from their commander-in-chief":

But beyond the message sent to our service members, the president’s tweets sent a hateful, harmful message to every single transgender man, woman and child in this nation. Today, my colleagues and I are not only rejecting this misguided policy, but telling every transgender American that they are seen, they are heard, and they will not be erased or discounted by their government.

Erik McGregor/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

COLUMBUS CIRCLE, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2017/07/29: A group of New Yorkers gathered at Columbus Circle across the Trump International Hotel and Tower New York in Central Park to raise their voices in protest against discrimination towards the LGBT community, in the aftermath of the Trump/Pence regime decision to ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. (Photo by Erik McGregor/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A draft of the resolution obtained by The Blade cited the July 2017 tweets from the President's Twitter account announcing the policy, which sparked outrage almost immediately. The document also notes that the House “strongly opposes” the ban and flat-out rejects “the flawed scientific and medical claims” behind it.

Since 2017, multiple challenges have been brought up against the ban in court. But a vote from the Supreme Court late last month allowed the Trump administration to move forward and actively enforce the policy. Meanwhile, the ban continues to move through lower courts around the country—and advisors from many areas of expertise agree it's a needlessly discriminatory policy.

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