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‘No Medically Valid Reason’ to Exclude Trans Troops, AMA Tells Pentagon

Nation’s largest medical organization rebukes Defense Sec. Mattis.

The nation’s largest medical organization rebuked Defense Secretary James Mattis, telling him in a letter that there’s “no medically valid reason” to exclude transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. The American Medical Association’s CEO, James Madara, said the Defense Department’s new evaluation of the requirements of trans troops “mischaracterized and rejected the wide body of peer-reviewed research on the effectiveness of transgender medical care.” Madara went on: “We believe there is no medically valid reason—including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria—to exclude transgender individuals from military service. Transgender individuals have served, and continue to serve, our country with honor, and we believe they should be allowed to continue doing so.”