The Chainsmokers , Rita Ora and Sia are pledging solidarity with the transgender community following President Donald Trump’s controversial decision this week to ban trans people from serving in the military.
Those pop artists, as well as others, offer words of pro-trans encouragement in the above video, which was produced by GLAAD in collaboration with Billboard magazine.
“By banning transgender people from openly serving in any capacity within the United States armed forces, President Donald Trump undercut the brave efforts of an estimated 15,000 patriotic transgender Americans who are currently serving our country,” the stars say in the clip. “The cost of care to transgender troops is negligible, but their duty and service is priceless.”
One of the video’s most noteworthy participants is “America’s Got Talent” veteran Jackie Evancho, who appears alongside her transgender sister, Juliet. Evancho, 17, sang the national anthem at Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration in spite of pressure from LGBTQ rights advocates, who felt the classical crossover singer should reconsider her performance given the president’s anti-LGBTQ platform. (The star has since spoken out against Trump’s stance on trans issues.)
Among those to praise Evancho and the rest of the video’s participants was GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.
“The participants in this video are sending a powerful message of love and acceptance in the face of outright lies about the cost of healthcare for transgender soldiers coming from the White House,” she told HuffPost in an email. “They are standing up and letting trans people all across the country know that they are not alone.”
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