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Biden overturns Trump ban on transgender US troops

The move undoes Trump’s controversial decision in July 2017 to bar transgender personnel from serving “in any capacity” in the military.

US PRESIDENT JOE Biden has overturned Donald Trump’s ban on transgender personnel serving in the military, saying “all Americans” qualified to serve should be able to do so.

Biden’s new policy was set in an executive order signed at the White House.

“Simply put, transgender servicemembers will no longer be subject to the possibility of discharge or separation on the basis of gender identity,” the White House said in a statement.

The military “thrives when it is composed of diverse Americans who can meet the rigorous standards for military service, and an inclusive military strengthens our national security.”

The move undoes Trump’s controversial decision in July 2017 to bar transgender personnel from serving “in any capacity” in the military.

As commander-in-chief, the US president has enormous latitude to set Pentagon policies.

Trump chose to nix a plan implemented by former president Barack Obama for the military to start accepting transgender recruits.

Trump had claimed the Obama-era policy was disruptive, expensive and said it eroded military readiness and camaraderie among troops.

But in Biden’s order undoing Trump’s ban, the White House cited a 2016 study that found “enabling transgender individuals to serve openly in the United States military would have only a minimal impact on military readiness and health care cost.”

© – AFP 2021

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Jan 25th 2021, 5:43 PM

    Trump is just a bigot. He pretends to be pro-troops, but never served himself and then wants to tell people they can’t serve just because they are trans. If they have the courage to serve their country, then let them.

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    Mute Da Dell
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:08 PM

    @Seán Ó Briain: Many American Presidents didnt serve .. and todate only men serve in the Submarine Services for obvious reasons. They are operational difficulties in the armed forces with mixed genders, this dose not mean it cannot be done as there are many women nowdays from Carrier Pilots to Infrantry, its just that it not that simple either and needs planning

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    Mute Da Dell
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:28 PM

    @Seán Ó Briain: Biden & Obama didnt serve either .. the last President that really served was George Bush Senior, who distinguished himself as a carrier pilot in WWII an received a DFC .. His son GWB junior was in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War but never left the States and there is also plenty of controversy about that too.
    I would think that any President that does not want American milltary people to die in illegal & unjust foreign wars is as you say pro-troops ..

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    Mute Ger McDonnell
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:28 PM

    @Da Dell: Eh… what ” obvious” reasons?

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    Mute John Considine
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:34 PM

    @Da Dell: Women have been serving on active-duty US Submarines for something like a decade now. It was some time during Obama’s first term, anyway.

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:36 PM

    @Da Dell: “Many American Presidents didnt serve”

    There’s a difference between not serving, and not serving and telling others they can’t serve.

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    Mute Da Dell
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:39 PM

    @Ger McDonnell: cramped conditions, stuck together for possibly months at at time, one toilet and shower for the non-enlisted ( unless on a boomer) for starters ..

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    Mute Da Dell
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:48 PM

    @John Considine: If I remember correctly there are women on 4 Guided Missile Submarines since around 2011, these are the largest Submarines, and there is no women on the Attack Submarines, I should have stated that. But I think this is still all in testing mode. I have a female relation who was an A-10 pilot and flew in the first gulf war, she was also one of the first pilots to successfully land the plane after heaving damage and loss of all hydraulics systems. I have no issues with Women in the military in case that what peopel think I am saying.

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    Mute Merlin Lancelot
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:52 PM

    @Seán Ó Briain: Biden also made transgender women be legally allowed to use women’s toilet and play in women sports including high schools. Super progressive!

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    Mute Da Dell
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:52 PM

    @Seán Ó Briain: Ok Sean, its great that Joe is going to overturn decades of American ‘Militarism’ and ‘Exceptionalism’ and save the world.

    And BTW its the American Military themselves who did not want transgender at first, I have no idea what stance they have now.

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    Mute Da Dell
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    Jan 25th 2021, 7:08 PM

    @John Considine: You are correct John, there are some women officers on some attach subs now, there will be no more for the time being. The newer classes of attack subs will be built with a different berthing config to allow more women, but they wont refit older ones to accomodate.
    3 hot bunking in one bunk for mixed genders is not really feasible for the older ones.

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    Mute Da Dell
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    Jan 25th 2021, 7:17 PM

    @Da Dell: On the Balistic Missile and Guided Missle Subs, there is much more space as they are very large, some are lucky to get single bunks, if you can call that lucky as these tend to be between the Missliles themselves, some others chose to bunk in storage/spare parts areas, where they can actually stand up, but in those its a mixed bag as they can be wokep up and have to get out when people need to get stores and replacement parts. You can see this on any of the docs about the USS Kentucky like Mighty Ships Season 3 Episode 4

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    Mute Seosamh Ohuaine
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    Jan 25th 2021, 7:40 PM

    @Merlin Lancelot: Trans gender women in womens sport is not progressive.

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    Mute Jim Lingk
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:07 PM

    @Merlin Lancelot: Brilliant, do actual non-trans women can be put at a distinct disadvantage and potentially much more danger in sports! Very progressive indeed.

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    Mute Stephen Gill
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:45 PM

    @Da Dell: D Trump avoided service by feigning a disability through a bogus MD cert bought by his father. The Trump family supported the war in Vietnam but they were not prepared to serve their country. If D. Trump said he was a conscientious objector that would be fine. He and his family despise the US Armed Forces and calls them losers. His family holds the military in disdain because his grandfather Friedrich Drumpf ran away from Bavaria to avoid military service. He returned to Bavaria when he thought it was safe and was caught and found out that his citizenship revoked for cowardice. He returned to the US and became a citizen claiming to be Swedish, not German. SO lying and cowardice do run deep in some families.

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    Mute Bryan Yelahw
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    Jan 25th 2021, 9:16 PM

    @Merlin Lancelot: Biden did no such thing. It is up to the States. As for sport, that would be up to the governing body.

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    Mute my name
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    Jan 25th 2021, 9:23 PM

    @Bryan Yelahw: he absolutely did sign that order. Governing bodies have no choice to accept it either as they would be brought up on federal charges

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    Jan 25th 2021, 9:25 PM
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    Mute Bryan Yelahw
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    Jan 25th 2021, 11:48 PM

    @my name: Maybe try reading it yourself. Bans discrimination to trans kids playing sport in high school. Not the same as the original claim made above. Either way, I dont think there are hoards of trans people going to upset whatever sport you like. These are just diversion tactics to cause outrage and you lap it up like a good sheep.

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    Mute my name
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    Jan 26th 2021, 12:12 AM

    @Bryan Yelahw: second paragraph
    “The proposals run counter to an executive order signed by Democratic President Joe Biden during his first day in office prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in school sports and elsewhere”. You said Biden “signed no such order”. He clearly did, that’s just one article on the matter. You can deny all you want a be a little sheep yourself too

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    Mute Simon Power
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    Jan 26th 2021, 1:13 AM

    @Seán Ó Briain: Excuse me, Donald couldn’t wait to serve until he got the devastating news from Fred Trumps doctor friend that he had bone spurs which affected his ability to go to war but nothing else. He also went through his “personal Vietnam” when avoiding STD’s during the same period.

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    Mute Jim Lingk
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    Jan 26th 2021, 11:55 AM

    @Bryan Yelahw: I suspect you are right that there won’t be ‘hoards’. The problem is that it would not take hoards.

    Nearly every man is physically bigger and stronger than nearly every woman.

    If, for example, an elite male tennis player or elite male golfer transitioned to being a woman they would dominate the sport.

    If an elite male fighter (boxing, UFC, kickboxing etc) transitioned they would dominate the sport and kill people.

    John McEnroe was castigated a few years back for daring to say Serena would not make it to the top few hundred ranking players if competing against males.

    This is not as simple as just letting biological men or women who identify as the opposite gender compete in against their ‘identified’ gender.

    I don’t see an issue with the military as long as someone can all the entry requirements.

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    Mute DarraghLD
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:23 PM

    Looks like Biden will have to spend his whole term just undoing the damage Trump has done.

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    Mute Jason Yourell
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    Jan 25th 2021, 10:45 PM

    @DarraghLD: Google http://www.antifa.com results are interesting

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    Mute Spot the d0g
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    Jan 26th 2021, 8:34 AM

    @DarraghLD: what damage would that be Darragh?

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    Mute Kaya
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    Jan 25th 2021, 5:45 PM

    So? Still bombing other countries, or whuteva

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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    Jan 25th 2021, 5:49 PM

    @Kaya: spreading that freedom

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    Mute Eugene Norman
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    Jan 25th 2021, 5:53 PM

    @Kaya: still blockading Yemen leading to starvation. But it’s partly trans now so that’s ok.

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    Mute Kaya
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:19 PM

    @Eugene Norman: That’s the land of the free… free to send trans people over to do some harm or be harmed themselves. Sad to see them fight for what they think is a cause.

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    Mute Fifty Shades of Sé
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    Jan 26th 2021, 4:01 PM

    @Eugene Norman: It’s a bit like an arms manufacturing company saying their products are more eco-friendly than competitor’s, as I believe one actually did.

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    Mute Jamo
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:09 PM

    What happens if said person breaks a nail or their fake tan runs on the battlefield?

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    Mute Ixtrix Net
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:13 PM

    @Jamo:
    it takes much more courage to be on that battlefield than at a keyboard

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    Mute Colm de Cleir
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:21 PM

    @Jamo: what happens if men trip over their big bushy beards on the battlefield? Also you forget: a broken nail can be used as a stabbing weapon while fake tan running is an effective disguise!

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    Mute Cocker
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    Jan 25th 2021, 11:00 PM

    @Jamo: the sheer levels of half-wittedness expressed in this comment is just exceptional. Bravo sir!

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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Jan 26th 2021, 8:45 AM

    @Jamo: Many soldiers get broken nails. They still manage to fight. Clearly you never wore a uniform.

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    Mute Robert Preston
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:45 PM

    OH ffs sake 500,000 deaths because of Covid 19 and this is top of his to list . Democrates will never learn

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    Mute Seán Óg
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    Jan 25th 2021, 9:13 PM

    @Robert Preston: It’s called multitasking. Trump supporters wouldn’t understand.

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    Mute Paul Shepherd
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    Jan 25th 2021, 11:41 PM

    @Robert Preston: yes, and most of them died on Trump’s watch thanks to his pandemic denial and complete incompetence.

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    Mute Robert Preston
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    Jan 26th 2021, 8:51 AM

    @Seán Óg: You smug ….er .

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    Mute Robert Preston
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    Jan 26th 2021, 9:00 AM

    @Seán Óg: My first reply was deleted I am not a Trump supporter . So anyone now who calls out Biden is a Trump supporter . How tolerant of you

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    Mute Alan o Donovan
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    Jan 25th 2021, 10:08 PM

    This is a total scam Trans only want into the military in order to get their operation paid for. Biden just jumping through hoops for every woke issue he can.

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    Mute Jim Lingk
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    Jan 25th 2021, 11:24 PM

    @Alan o Donovan: Worth mentioning the trans population is very small. The number of trans people joining the military will likely be tiny.

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    Mute Joe Mc Carthy
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:37 PM

    Well done Joe

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    Mute Shnack
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    Jan 25th 2021, 7:03 PM

    @Joe Mc Carthy: all for this but just wanna ask which billets do the transgender people sleep in? I mean if a male identifies as a female do they sleep in the female quarters with all the other female privates? Shower with them etc?

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    Mute Jim Lingk
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:09 PM

    @Shnack: yes. If they don’t allow that then it’s DISCRIMINATION!

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    Mute Shnack
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:13 PM

    @Jim Lingk: I don’t see how any woman will ever be on board with that.

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    Mute David Bohane
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:55 PM

    @Shnack: Too late, many women voted Biden with no consideration as to what he actually would do, now it seems a man can compete with a woman in sport if he declares that he is a woman and feminists now are calling foul, its crazy

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    Mute Jim Lingk
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    Jan 25th 2021, 9:17 PM

    @Shnack: A trans-woman IS a woman. That’s the state of play of this at the present time.

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    Mute Shnack
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    Jan 25th 2021, 9:34 PM

    @David Bohane: its completely wrong. This is just not fair on women. Where are women’s rights these days? After so long fighting for it and now this.

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    Mute David Bohane
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    Jan 25th 2021, 9:39 PM

    @Shnack: Completely agree but the left will call you a bigot if you complain.

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    Mute Jim Lingk
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    Jan 25th 2021, 9:54 PM

    @Shnack: That is what we are talking about. You are asking what women would think of this. That question itself would have you labelled a bigot in some quarters.

    The movement of trans rights includes a goal to be regarded not as ‘equal’ to women but AS women, without any differentiation.

    That is where we are at with this.

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    Mute Mikki James
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    Jan 25th 2021, 5:48 PM

    The focus on this population has been such that no amount of reversal in policy can take away the un-warranted trama that the population faces on top of the usual narrow-minded and hateful comments of people.

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    Mute Joe Mc Carthy
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    Jan 25th 2021, 6:37 PM

    Well done Joe

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    Mute Kevin O'Brien
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    Jan 26th 2021, 3:40 AM

    @Joe Mc Carthy: Why what did you do?

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    Mute Mary N. Cooke
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:17 PM

    Go Joe!

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    Mute Robert Preston
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    Jan 25th 2021, 10:56 PM

    @Mary N. Cooke: Yeah Go Joe go to sleep

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    Mute Da Dell
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    Jan 25th 2021, 7:22 PM

    I hope he overturns the Patriot Act.

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    Mute Joe ryan
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    Jan 26th 2021, 12:18 PM

    Transgender men can now compete in women’s sport, no harm i suppose, unless your a woman

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    Mute
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    Jan 26th 2021, 10:14 AM

    It’s going to take quite a while to undo all the damage done by the Mango Mussolini. Fair play to Biden!

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    Mute David Bohane
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    Jan 26th 2021, 1:16 PM

    @: Fair play to biden for what , ruining women’s rights or sniffing children?

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