HARTFORD, CT– Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he has signed an executive order reinforcing the state’s nondiscrimination policies within the Connecticut Military Department following an announcement from President Trump this morning that he intends to ban people who are transgender from serving in the military in any capacity.

The order directs the Connecticut National Guard, the Connecticut Air National Guard, and the other armed forces of the state to take no action that discriminates against service members in enlistment, promotion, or any other aspect of their service, on the basis of their gender identity or expression, unless superseded by federal law, regulation, or formal directive from the U.S. Department of Defense.

It also directs the Connecticut Military Department to review existing personnel policies and any formal directive from the Department of Defense or other federal entity, whether issues today or in the future, to ensure that service members are afforded the maximum protection and the greatest opportunity to serve our state and nation, regardless of their gender identity or expression, and to minimize any discriminatory impact on service members from any federal directive.

A recent study estimated that there are between 2,500 and 7,000 transgender service members currently serving on active duty and an additional 1,500 to 4,000 in the reserves – all of whom could be discharged from the military under the President’s new policy.