The Pentagon has announced that transgender citizens will be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military.
The move will soon bring about the end to one of the remaining bans on service in western military forces.
Department of Defense Secretary Ash Carter laid out a year-long implementation plan and said that it was the right thing to do because Americans who want to serve and can meet qualification standards should be given an opportunity to do so.
"Our mission is to defend this country, and we don't want barriers unrelated to a person's qualification to serve preventing us from recruiting or retaining the soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who can best accomplish the mission," said Carter.
Between 2,000 and 15,500 of the 1.3 million active duty service members in the United States might be transgender.
Aaron Belkin is the director of the Palm Centre and has been researching and advocating for the inclusion of transgender personnel for many years.
“With today’s historic decision, the US military has taken a sweeping step to advance readiness,” said Belkin.
“In ending discrimination that had no basis in medical science or military necessity, Secretary Carter is enhancing readiness as well as core values of honesty and integrity, an enormous accomplishment with a durable impact on all service members.”
From 1 October, active duty transgender personnel will gain access to medical care and will be able to change their administrative paperwork to reflect their correct gender.
It will be another year or so before the United States military will allow recruitment of transgender personnel.
The Australian Defence Force has allowed transgender personnel to serve since 2010.
United States Ambassador to Australia John Berry said that he believed that equality was the beating heart of both countries.
“Both Australia and America both strive for equality,” said Berry.
“What I love most about Australia just so happens to be what I love most about America, equality, freedom, honour ... it’s part of your national ethos that everyone deserves a fair go.”
Image by Petty Officer 1st Class Tim D. Godbee - United States Department of Defense