ARE. BUT IN THE SENSE OF DOING
MY JOB NO, I WAS JUST DOING MY
JOB LIKE A NORMAL SOLDIER. ))
(BROOKE)
A VETERAN FROM THE INDIANA
NATIONAL GUARD --
WHO IS TRANSGENDER --
SPEAKING OUT ABOUT PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S PLAN TO BAN TRANSGENDER
INDIVIDUALS FROM SERVING IN THE
MILITARY.
(BROOKE)
PRESIDENT TRUMP MADE THE
ANNOUNCEMENT THIS MORNING ON
TWITTER.
(PHIL)
HE SAYS HE WILL BAN TRANSGENDER
INDIVIDUALS.. FROM SERVING IN
QUOTE ANY CAPACITY" IN THE U- S
ARMED FORCES.
(BROOKE)
THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE CONSULTED
WITH HIS GENERALS..
AND MILITARY EXPERTS.
HE SAYS THE MILITARY MUST BE
FOCUSED ON VICTORY.. AND
CANNOT BE BURDENED WITH THE
'TREMENDOUS MEDICAL COSTS
AND DISRUPTION THAT TRANSGENDER
IN THE MILITARY
WOULD ENTAIL.'
(PHIL)
TRANSGENDER SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO SERVE OPENLY IN
THE MILITARY SINCE LAST YEAR..
WHEN FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY
ASH
CARTER ENDED THE BAN.
MILITARY CHIEFS RECENTLY
ANNOUNCED A DELAY ON
ALLOWING TRANSGENDER PEOPLE FROM
ENLISTING SO THEY
CAN STUDY THE ISSUE.
BUT TRANSGENDER TROOPS ARE
ALREADY SERVING
IN THE MILITARY.
(BROOKE)
THE WHITE HOUSE IS NOT SAYING
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THOSE PEOPLE
CURRENTLY SERVING.
((SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS/WHITE
HOUSE PRESS
SECRETARY: THE IMPLEMENTATION
POLICY IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING
THE WHITE HOUSE AND DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER
TO LAWFULLY DETERMINE. I WOULD
IMAGINE THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE WILL BE THE LEAD ON
THAT. ))
(BROOKE)
PRESS SECRETARY SARAH HUCKABEE
SANDERS DID NOT PROVIDE A
TIMELINE FOR THE PROCESS.
(PHIL)
A 2016 RAND STUDY CONCLUDED
GENDER TRANSITION
HEALTH CARE COVERAGE FOR
TRANSGENDER MILITARY MEMBERS
WOULD INCREASE THE DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT'S HEALTH-CARE
COSTS BY AS MUCH AS 8- POINT- 4-
MILLION DOLLARS.
THE PENTAGON'S OVERALL HEALTH
CARE EXPENDITURES..
ARE AROUND '49- POINT- 3-
BILLION- DOLLARS.
(BROOKE)
THE PENTAGON WILL NOT SAY IF
DEFENSE SECRETARY JAMES
MATTIS AGREED WITH TRUMP'S
ANNOUNCEMENT.
(PHIL)
AND TODAY --
ONE HOOSIER WHO IS TRANSGENDER
IS SPEAKING OUT ABOUT HER TIME
IN
THE INDIANA NATIONAL GUARD.
(BROOKE)
24 HOUR NEWS 8'S ERIC FELDMAN
CAUGHT UP WITH HER AND FOUND
OUT WHY SHE SAYS THE GUARD GAVE
HER A NEW LIFE.
(ERIC)
KIMBERLY ACOFF SERVED IN THE
INDIANA NATIONAL GUARD WHEN IT
WAS ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE
TRANSGENDER TO SERVE.
BUT SHE SAYS HER GENDER HAD NO
BEARING ON HER QUALIFICATIONS IN
THE MILITARY -- AND IS URGING
THE PRESIDENT TO RECONSIDER HIS
PLAN.
((ERIC FELDMAN, REPORTING))
ASK KIMBERLY ACOFF HOW SHE'D
INTRODUCE HERSELF -- AND SHE
SAYS --
(( / : A FELLOW HOOSIER WHO HAS
SERVED IN THE INDIANA
NATIONAL GUARD FROM 2000-2006.
))
BUT THERE'S MORE TO IT.
KIMBERLY IS TRANSGENDER.
SHE TRANSITIONED A YEAR BEFORE
JOINING THE NATIONAL GUARD.
BACK WHEN IT WAS ILLEGAL.
(( / : EVERY DAY LIVING IN FEAR
THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO
FIND YOU OUT LIKE YOU'VE DONE
SOMETHING WRONG BUT YOU'VE DONE
NOTHING WRONG. ))
ALL SHE WANTED --
WAS A CHANCE.
(( / :
I DIDN'T BELIEVE IN MYSELF. I
WAS IN A DEAD END IN MANY AREAS
IN MY LIFE AS MANY TRANSGENDER
INDIVIDUALS
ARE. ))
SHE GOT THAT CHANCE.
THE GUARD HELPED HER GRADUATE
COLLEGE AND GET
A MASTER'S DEGREE --
AND SHE TRAINED HUNDREDS OF
SOLDIERS DEPLOYING TO IRAQ.
SHE SAYS NO ONE KNEW SHE WAS
TRANSGENDER.
(( / :MY SEXUALITY IS NO MORE OF
A BARRIER FOR TRAINING
AND WORKING IN HTE MILITARY THAN
MY COLOR WAS. ))
IN FACT SHE SAYS THE MILITARY
MOLDED HER INTO THE WOMAN SHE IS
TODAY.
BUT STILL -- WHEN THE GUARD
FOUND OUT SHE WAS TRANSGENDER
BACK IN 2005 --
SHE SAYS SHE WAS TOLD NOT TO RE-
ENLIST.
AND FAST-FORWARD TO TODAY -- SHE
READ ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
INTENTION TO ONCE AGAIN
DISALLOW PEOPLE WHO ARE
TRANSGENDER FROM SERVING TO
SAVE MONEY ON MEDICAL COSTS.
(( / : THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS
COUNTRY IS ALL ABOUT. WE'RE
ABOUT GIVING AN OPPORTUNTIY. NOT
TAKING IT AWAY AND STRIPPING
PEOPLE OF IT. ))
SHE HAS A MESSAGE FOR THE
PRESIDENT.
(( / : KNOW WE ARE REAL PEOPLE
TO BE VALUED, NOT
DEVALUED. WE'RE THE PEOPLE HE
REPRESENTS. HE'S OUR PRESIDENT
AND WE'RE HIS PEOPLE. ))
(ERIC)
KIMBERLY SAYS SHE'S STILL
FRIENDS WITH MANY OF THE
SOLDIERS SHE MET IN THE NATIONAL
GUARD.
WE WILL HEAR MORE FROM KIMBERLY
ON 24 HOUR NEWS 8 AT 11
--
WHEN I ASK HER ABOUT PRESIDENT
TRUMP WANTING TO IMPLEMENT THIS
POLICY CHANGE TO SAVE COST ON
MEDICAL BILLS FOR THE DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE.
(PHIL)
YOU ALSO SPOKE WITH A U-INDY
PROFESSOR WHO STUDIES THE L-G-
B-T-Q COMMUNITY.
WHAT IMPACT COULD THIS POLICY
HAVE?
(ERIC)
WELL SHE SAYS THE ISSUE COULD BE
PERCEPTION --
BECAUSE OF WHAT SOME SAY IS
DISCRIMINATION.
IT COULD ALSO LIMIT THE NUMBER
OF RECRUITS WE SEE FROM PEOPLE
WHO DO NOT AGREE WITH THE
PRESIDENT'S OPINION.
