Military Twitter account features band members with rainbow flags above message: ‘We welcome Canadians of all gender identities’

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Canada’s military has welcomed recruits of all gender identities, hours after Donald Trump said he would ban transgender people from the US military.

A tweet from the Canadian armed forces’ official Twitter account included a photo of military band members marching in a parade with rainbow flags fluttering from their instruments.

Canadian Forces (@CanadianForces) We welcome Cdns of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Join us! #DiversityIsOurStrength #ForcesJobs https://t.co/572KahN2Zh pic.twitter.com/9In7HR4Utj

Within an hour, it had been retweeted 2,500 times.

Trump’s surprise announcement, in a series of Twitter posts on Wednesday, drew condemnation from rights groups and some lawmakers in both US political parties as discrimination with purely political motives. But it was praised by conservative activists and some Republicans.

The action, reversing Barack Obama’s policy, halted years of efforts to eliminate barriers to military service based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Canadian military’s social media response to Trump’s move was reminiscent of a tweet by the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, in January after Trump issued a travel ban affecting people from Muslim-majority countries.

“To those fleeing persecution, terror and war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength,” Trudeau tweeted at the time.

