Transgender women are still required to register for the draft, White House statement says

According to US policy, transgender women, who were born male, will still be required to register for the Selective Service, should there be the need for a military draft.

This policy was put in place before President Joe Biden took office; however, the Biden administration have not reversed this policy.

Not long after Biden took office, he signed an executive order which allowed all U.S. citizens to enlist in the military.

A 2016 study requested by the Department of Defense showed that allowing transgender people to serve openly in the military would only have “a minimal impact on military readiness and healthcare costs,” according to a statement from the White House.

The statement continued, “The study also concluded that open transgender service has had no significant impact on operational effectiveness or unit cohesion in foreign militaries.”

The Biden administration issued their own statement in September which said that it is fully behind “the registration requirement for all citizens, which further ensures a military selective system that is fair and just.”

According to the Selective Service System, nearly “all male US citizens and male immigrants, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service.” The website states that all biological males must register for the draft, including “U.S. citizens or immigrants who are born male and have changed their gender to female.”

The website goes onto say that “Individuals who are born female and have changed their gender to male” will not be required to register.

“Individuals who have changed their gender to male will be asked to complete a Status Information Letter (SIL) request form and provide a copy of their birth certificate,” the SSS wrote.

The purpose of a Status Information Letter is to give the person in question the chance to “describe, in detail, the circumstances you believe prevented you from registering and provide copies of documents” providing reasons why.

The policy garnered attention after the Selective Service’s official Twitter account posted, “Parents, if your son is an only son and the last male in your family to carry the family name, he is still required to register with SSS.”