The Canadian Military Just Epically Trolled Donald Trump’s Trans Ban
If you weren’t already figuring out ways to emigrate to Canada, the latest tweet from the Canadian Armed Forces will have you packing your bags.
Hours after Donald Trump tweeted out a ban on transgender service members in the U.S. military, the Canadian Forces twitter account posted a handy reminder that it doesn’t discriminate based on gender identity.
“We welcome [Canadians] of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Join us!” it read, with a picture of Royal Canadian Navy Band members playing at Toronto Pride.
A spokesperson for Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said the Canadian government is committed to a military that “reflects Canadian ideals of diversity, respect and inclusion.”
“Our diversity strategy and action plan will promote an institution-wide culture that embraces diversity and inclusion, and we will continue to focus on the recruitment and retention of under-represented groups within the Canadian Forces’ ranks,” Jordan Owens told CBC News.
Though the Canadian military doesn’t keep records on the number of active or reserve service members who are trans, the CBC reports that 19 have been known to complete gender confirmation surgery between 2008 and 2015, costing a grand total of $319,000.
In the UK, Alex Burton, Commander of U.K. Maritime Forces, tweeted that he was glad his nation didn’t have a ban.
Trans people can also serve openly in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and Sweden.
H/T NewNowNext
