Higgins applauds Biden's executive order reversing ban on transgender individuals serving in military

Congressman Brian Higgins, D-NY-26, applauded President Joe Biden’s executive order revoking President Donald Trump’s actions banning transgender troops from serving in the U.S. Military. Higgins released the following statement:

“Americans who sign up to serve and protect deserve nothing less than equal protections from the country they bravely defend. It is an incredibly selfless act to commit oneself to the military. Denying these selfless individuals the ability to simply be themselves is shameful. We welcome the new commander-in-chief’s actions to right this historic wrong.

“The previous policy was based on nothing more than ignorance and intolerance. The United States is better than that. We should be leading by demonstrating to the world a government and military that not only fights for equality across the globe but embraces the strength that diversity provides to its ranks within.”

On Monday, Biden issued an executive order immediately prohibiting “involuntary separations, discharges and denials of reenlistment or continuation of service on the basis of gender identity or under circumstances relating to gender identity.”

Higgins, a member of the congressional LGBT equality caucus, spoke out in opposition when Trump instituted a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military in 2017.