The Pentagon Will Lift the Ban on Transgender People Serving in the Military

On July 1, the Pentagon will announce plans to lift its current ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military, USA Today reports. 

Top officials could meet as early as Monday with Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work could sign off on it by midweek, an anonymous Defense source told USA Today. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has final approval over lifting the ban. 

Lifting the ban would give each branch of the military a one-year period to implement trans-inclusive policies in their recruiting, housing and uniforms. 

The New York Times reported earlier this year that about 2,450 of the 1.2 million people serving in the US military identify as transgender. While USA Today reports that some, especially Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, are worried about the costs of hormone therapy and surgery, the Times reported that paying for these would cost the military between $2.9 and $4.5 million per year. The military currently spends $6 billion a year on medical care.