Transgender Student Fights Back Against Trump's Proposed Military Ban

A University of New Haven (UNH) student hoping to join the United States Army is fighting back against President Donald Trump’s proposed ban on transgender individuals.

Dylan Kohere is a freshman studying criminal justice at the University of New Haven.

Since middle school, he said he has dreamed of serving in the United States military, but now Trump’s attempt to reinstate a ban might prevent him from fulfilling that dream.

"People fought for me for 18 years of my life, I always felt like I had my own civil duty to fight," Kohere said. "Give back to the country that always gave to me."

Kohere was home in New Jersey in late July when a friend sent him a screen shot of the president’s tweets.

"I felt really, really targeted," he said. "Personally targeted at the fact that you know I was fully capable of serving and I was fully able and my gender identity was the whole reason I wasn’t being allowed."

Trump later sent a memo to the Pentagon after the tweets that said in part, "Please be advised that the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military."

"Regardless of how I identify," Kohere said. "If I can meet the standards, I don’t see a reason why I can’t serve."

Kohere began his gender transition at the end of the 9th grade.

"It’s made me really a much happier," he explained. "Much more confident person over the years finally being able to physically output how I’ve always felt internally."

Kohere has joined eight transgender individuals, including several active service members, in a federal lawsuit filed by lawyers from the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders to challenge this policy change.

"It’s not just fighting for me, and my rights, it's fighting for the rights of tens of thousands of people who are currently serving now and thousands of people who are going to want to serve in the future," Kohere said.

If given the chance, Kohere said he’d accept an invitation to speak with President Trump about his desire to serve in the army.

"Explain to him, look at him, ask him to look at me as a human being and not as a gender and not as you know anything other than an American citizen who wants to serve his country," he said.

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