The LGBTQ community in Kern County is "disappointed" after President Donald Trump decided to ban transgender individuals from the military.
Whitney Weddell, Chair of Bakersfield LGBTQ felt the president's announcement was a "slap in the face."
"It's an extreme disappointment that the president of the United States has decided to be the commander in chief of bigotry and not the commander in chief," Weddell told 23ABC.
Local LGBTQ leaders say this decision will reverse former President Barack Obama's efforts to eliminate barriers to military service based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and would directly revoke a policy approved by the U.S. Department of Defense under the previous administration which allowed transgender individuals to serve in the military.
"We're going to continue to fight for those people in and out of the military until we have acceptance," Weddell added.
The ACLU says they will challenge President Trump's decision as well.
Cities and people nationwide reacted, some in solidarity to the LGBTQ community and some in support of the president's ban.
San Francisco's City Hall was lit up in rainbow colors overnight, while many took to Twitter to give their opinion on the matter.
The president's decision for the ban is that "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail."
