Actor George Takei didn’t hold back his anger over the transgender military ban announced Wednesday by President Donald Trump.
Trump cited “tremendous medical costs and disruption” for his reasoning behind the decision, but thousands of troops currently already serving in the military are transgender, according to a 2016 study those numbers could be as high as 11,000.
Like the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy” of military yesteryear, the Trump administration’s decision to ban transgender people from serving only stands to stop them from serving openly.
It’s a move Takei, the “Star Trek” star and fierce LGBT advocate, condemned.
“History shall record that you are not only the stupidest, most incompetent president ever, but also the cruelest and pettiest. #Shame,” he posted on Twitter just minutes after Trump made the announcement.
History shall record that you are not only the stupidest, most incompetent president ever, but also the cruelest and pettiest. #Shame pic.twitter.com/8R4jVOIYmd
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 26, 2017
Takei also took the time to give a little “I told you so,” to fellow LGBT allies who mistakenly thought Trump would be a friend to the community.
“Trump is banning all transgenders from the military. To those who believed Trump would be a friend to LGBTs, time to admit you were conned,” he tweeted.
Trump is banning all transgenders from the military. To those who believed Trump would be a friend to LGBTs, time to admit you were conned.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 26, 2017
Takei continued with a warning for Trump and a call to action for LGBT advocates.
“Donald: With your ban on trans people from the military, you are on notice that you just pissed off the wrong community. You will regret it,” he wrote.
“Invidious discrimination against any group must be opposed by all. Straight/Cis allies: Will you stand with LGBTs?#TransRightsAreHumanRights,” he tweeted.
Donald: With your ban on trans people from the military, you are on notice that you just pissed off the wrong community. You will regret it.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 26, 2017
Invidious discrimination against any group must be opposed by all. Straight/Cis allies: Will you stand with LGBTs?#TransRightsAreHumanRights
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 26, 2017
Trump’s decision to reinstate a previous ban on transgender individuals serving in “any capacity” in the U.S. armed forces comes 69 years to the day President Harry Truman desegregated the military.
Truman said that men in uniform should have “equality of treatment and opportunity,” without regard to race, color, religion, or even national origin.
Under President Barack Obama in 2015, a major push lead by then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel moved to end the “outdated” ban on openly transgender armed forces members.
By spring 2016 a study on allowing transgender people to serve openly in the military would “cost little and have no significant impact on unit readiness.”
That report directly contrasts President Trump’s reasoning Tuesday to reinstate the ban on transgender people serving.
“Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,” Trump wrote on Twitter Wednesday morning.
