Main content

Are there 15,000 transgender people serving in the US military?

President Trump says transgender individuals cannot serve, but how many do already?

President Trump recently announced that the US Government "will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military." This provoked criticism from Congressman Mark Pocan who said that there were 15,000 transgender people serving in the military today. That number was widely reported – but is it true?

Presenter and Producer: Charlotte McDonald

(image: US Joint Service Honor Guard, Washington DC. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Tue 15 Aug 2017 01:50GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 14 Aug 2017 12:50GMT
  • Tue 15 Aug 2017 01:50GMT

Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU

Explore how numbers shape, and sometimes mislead us, with The Open University.

When can you trust statistics?

When can you trust statistics?

91¸£ÀûÉç Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.

Podcast