By: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

WASHINGTON, DC — Defense Secretary James Mattis and the Pentagon have reportedly issued new guidance on Friday which will continue to allow transgender troops currently serving in the military to re-enlist in the coming months as the department tries to figure out how to enforce President Trump’s ban on their service of our great nation.

Mattis said in a memo to the joint chiefs of staff leaders on Friday, that he will institute a high-level panel at the Pentagon where he as well as the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will lead. The panel will determine how to enact Trump’s anti-transgender military service policy.

However transgender service members currently serving can continue to serve and receive medical care, said Mattis in the memo.

On Friday U.S Senator John McCain (AZ) said he would support legislation designed to block Trump’s transgender military ban, saying that we have gone beyond this line of thinking for individuals who meet the qualifications for service in our great military. In fact (as seen pictured right), McCain has been discussing this very issue with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

In fact Americans will remember when McCain who opposed the lifting of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell“, came into the hearing with a petition of allegedly dead soldiers names on the petition and then claimed that they were all against the policy being lifted. So for McCain to see the benefit that LGBTQ Americans are to our military service and to come out now with this change of heart on the issue of transgender service members, it goes too show that we have come a long way and we must continue the fight to make sure that all LGBTQ Americans are treated in the same way as our heterosexual counterparts.

“Any member of the military who meets the medical and readiness standards should be allowed to serve – including those who are transgender,” said Senator John McCain.

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