After Trump tweeted that transgender people can't serve in the military, Twitter, Facebook, and Google were first out of the gate to advocate for trans military members.
This morning, President Trump tweeted that transgender individuals wouldn't be allowed to serve in the US military "in any capacity."
He made the statements ostensibly after consulting with military experts about the medical cost and "disruption" trans people would cause in the armed forces.
The statements, if turned into law, would be a reversal of the Obama administration's policies, which allowed trans members to serve, offered assistance for their transitions, and obligated soldiers to undergo diversity training on working with trans people. There is no official policy in place rejecting trans service members yet, but two trans recruits, one from West Point and the other from the Air Force Academy, were denied their commissioning into the military in May.
In response, Silicon Valley CEOs and companies have been making statements on social media that advocate for allowing trans people to keep serving in the military.
Some are using the hashtag #LetThemServe.
We are grateful to transgender members of the military for their service. #LetThemServe https://t.co/fTF7FodpWi
— Google (@Google) July 26, 2017
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— Tumblr (@tumblr) July 26, 2017