Members of the House of Representatives from both parties introduced a bill Friday that would protect transgender people from being removed from the military solely because of their gender identity, according to The Hill.
The group includes Reps. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., Charlie Dent, R-Pa., Susan Davis, D-Calif., Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., Adam Smith, D-Wash., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., the Hill reported.
"Kicking out members of the United States Armed Services solely based on their gender identity is hateful, discriminatory, and on the wrong side of history," Speier said in a statement.
"News flash, Mr. President — thousands of transgender troops already serve our country with pride and dignity. Our military should be focused on recruiting and training the best troops, not on rejecting qualified service members on the basis of discrimination," Speier added.
Ros-Lehtinen called the ban a reminder of "dark chapters in our nation's history that should never be repeated," according to the Hill.
"Any patriot, as long as they are qualified to serve, should have the ability to, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity," Ros-Lehtinen added.
A Senate bill on the subject was released last month, sponsored by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., John McCain, R-Ariz., Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, according to the Hill.
President Donald Trump announced he was reinstating the ban in July, and ordered the military to stop accepting openly transgender people as new recruits in August.
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