Pentagon declines to acknowledge LGBT Pride Month for first time since ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal

The Pentagon has declined to acknowledge LGBT Pride Month for the first time since the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy during the Obama administration, according to The Washington Post.

The publication reports that the Pentagon did not issue a memo marking LGBT Pride Month, which is usually circulated annually at the beginning of Pride Month in June. 

{mosads}The memo’s absence has reportedly caused concerns among those in the armed forces who are concerned about President Trump’s announcement last year that he would block transgender individuals from serving in the military.

In addition to the absence of the memo, no senior-level Defense Department officials made public remarks marking the month. 

However, the LGBT group at the Defense Department put on an event at the Pentagon on Monday, according to The Post. 

The Pentagon told the publication that the Defense Department supports diversity of all kinds, but did not reveal why the memo was not issued this year.  

“The Department of Defense supports diversity of all kinds across our military and we encourage everyone to celebrate the diversity of our total force team. … We value all members of the DOD total force and recognize their immense contributions to the mission,” Air Force Maj. Carla Gleason said in a statement. 

The president’s policy on transgender individuals serving in the military has earned Trump intense criticism from the LGBT community. 

Trump in March signed a memo banning most transgender troops from serving in the military, and giving Defense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen “authority to implement any appropriate policies concerning military service by transgender individuals.”

The ban aims to reverse a 2016 policy signed under former President Obama that allowed transgender troops to enlist, serve and seek medical treatment.

Over 100 members of Congress have urged Mattis to reverse Trump’s policy.