This Shady Tweet About Trump’s Trans Military Ban Will Make You Want To Move To Canada
Oh, Canada. You already have poutine, Justin Trudeau, and Drake. Why must you prove how good you are, too?
Scant hours after President Donald Trump announced — via Twitter — that the U.S. Military would not “accept or allow” transgender individuals to serve in the military on July 26, our neighbors to the north had responded with the most politely savage shut-down we could have hoped for.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Canadian Armed Forces tweeted out a beautiful photo of members of a military band playing while displaying rainbow flags at a parade. “We welcome Cdns of all sexual orientations and gender identities,” the caption read. “Join us!” And the hashtag? #DiversityIsOurStrength.
Note the complete lack of any reference to the U.S. trans military ban that, of course, everyone was talking about. Canada doesn't need to. I know what you're talking about, Canada. I see you.
On Twitter, people were here for it.
Some called a shade a shade.
Some were embarrassed on a national level.
And some just sat back and appreciated the work that gave us this fine tweet in the first place.
It was a moment of levity in a situation that has many people justifiably outraged.
With a set of early-morning tweets, Trump overturned an Obama administration-era decision to allow trans individuals to serve openly in the military, possibly in order to secure funding for his proposed border wall.
It was a choice that left many stunned, both for the suddenness and the lives it would upend. Statistics on how many transgender individuals are currently serving in the military are unclear, but the number is not zero. Estimates range from 1,320 to more than 15,000 trans people currently serving.
More importantly, it's another move to marginalize a community that has seen considerable political condemnation and oppression. Trans veterans were outraged by the ban, and activists quickly moved to protest the decision, organizing a demonstration in New York City's Times Square. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also indicated that it will fight the ban.
