Canadian Forces Welcome All Sexual Orientations After Trump’s Transgender Ban

Hours after President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. military, Canada's armed forces welcomed people of all sexual orientation and gender identities to join them.

On their official Twitter account, the Canadian armed forces posted a message with a photograph of a Canadian Navy band members playing instruments during a Pride Day parade in Toronto, July 3, 2016, along with the hashtag #DiversityIsOurStrength.

The post soon began trending over the social media platforms, with people lauding the Canadian forces for their prompt response.

Read: 5 Things That Cost More Than Military Transgender Health Care

On Wednesday, in a series of tweets, Trump announced his decision of not allowing transgender people in the U.S. military.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the president’s move describing it as a “military decision,” the Washington Post reported.

Sanders, who succeeded Sean Spicer after he resigned Friday, said: “The decision is — is based on a military decision. It’s not meant to be anything more than that. And it’s simply about — obviously it’s a very difficult decision, it’s not a simple one. But the president feels that it’s the best one for the military.”

When asked if Trump would apply the same logic for White House employees, Sanders responded saying, “No. Once again, this was a decision based on what was best for the military and military cohesion and on the counsel of his national security team.”

According to CBC News, Canadian armed forces policy promotes equality and prevents discrimination based on gender identity. Jordan Owens, spokesperson for Canada Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, said their government was dedicated to building a defense squad that "reflects Canadian ideals of diversity, respect, and inclusion."

"Our diversity strategy and action plan will promote an institution-wide culture that embraces diversity and inclusion, and we will continue to focus on the recruitment and retention of under-represented groups within the Canadian Forces' ranks," she said in a statement.

Read: Chelsea Manning Reacts To Trump's Transgender Ban: How Many Serve In US Military?

Trump’s move received a lot of criticism from rights groups and politicians. Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter condemned the move saying, “To choose service members on other grounds than military qualifications is social policy and has no place in our military.”

Meanwhile, Kristen Beck, a retired Navy SEAL who came out as a transgender, had a message for the president, Business Insider reported. “Tell me in person that I'm not worthy. Let's meet face to face and you tell me I'm not worthy. Transgender doesn't matter. Do your service," Beck said Wednesday.

He told the Business Insider that Trump’s decision could adversely affect transgender people wanting to serve the U.S. military.

According to a study conducted by Rand Corporation, there are an estimated 1,320 to 6,630 transgender people serving in the U.S. military at various levels. The study also suggested that the U.S. Department of Defense “should ensure strong leadership and identify and communicate the benefits of an inclusive and diverse workforce to successfully implement a policy change and successfully integrate openly serving transgender service members into the force.”