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Naval Academy to Bar Transgender Midshipment in 2020-21 Term

Naval Academy Midshipmen
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Naval Academy Midshipmen

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - The U.S. Naval Academy will ban people who are transgender from attending the school, beginning with the 2020 school year.

The Defense Department confirmed the policy change to the Capital Gazette on Monday. The school in Annapolis, Maryland, currently accepts transgender students and retains midshipmen who transition to another gender.

The change follows a policy shift under the Trump Administration to bar people who are transgender from serving in the military. The new policy applies to students enrolled in the 2020-21 school year and beyond.

The Obama Administration lifted restrictions on transgender service members in 2016. It allows them to serve openly and covered gender affirmation surgery.

Midshipman Regan Kibby, currently enrolled in the academy, is one of six service members suing the Trump administration over its ban.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.