Gen. Lloyd Austin, the pick by Joe Biden to lead the Defense Department in his administration, said Tuesday for the first time publicly he supports efforts to overturn the transgender military ban.
Austin made the comments during his confirmation hearing for the role of secretary of defense under questioning from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who has taken the lead on the issue in the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I support the plan to overturn the ban,” Biden said. “I truly believe that if you’re a fit and you’re qualified to serve and you can maintain the standards, you should be allowed to serve.” Aaron Belkin, director of the San Francisco-based Palm Center, said in a statement Austin’s comments in favor of ending the