That was specifically transgenders. And nobody would have been kicked out, they were trying to find a way to keep more from joining. The idea has since died because there were more military leaders opposed to it than in favor of it.
Well, look who the wind blew in! Nice to see you, Milo.
Yes, the issue involved transgender people, not gay people. Trump apparently initially did threaten in a tweet or something to ban transgender people from serving altogether. He signed an order to prevent recruiting them, the ACLU and other groups sued, the courts sided with them and DOJ did not challenge it because military leaders themselves said transgender service members weren't a problem.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/advocates-celebrate-huge-win-against-trump-s-transgender-military-ban-n833981Apparently the issue is still on the table, but nobody seems to think it's going to go anywhere.
https://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2018/02/06/new-jersey-joins-fight-opposing-trumps-transgender-military-ban-239699An "openly transgender" recruit signed up about a week ago.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/27/17057580/transgender-soldier-military-trump-banI think of homophobia and transphobia being pretty different -- that is, in the way they play out in people's minds. People who would otherwise be, or once were, more homophobic have calmed down about that and turned their bigotry to a new target. Since the Supreme Court's marriage decision, I perceive an inclination of people -- not everybody, of course -- to go, oh well, I guess they're not that bad. It's those trans people who are the mentally ill weirdos destroying our society, especially when it comes to who uses what bathroom.
Getting back to Trump, I personally have never heard a homophobic (as opposed to transphobic) statement from him. I guess I assumed that anybody who has spent most of their lives running in sophisticated New York circles has met enough gay people that this isn't a big issue for them.
Don't get me wrong -- I don't think he'll get elected chairman of his local GLAD chapter anytime soon. The very fact that he chose Pence, who IS homophobic, as his VP shows that Trump's not exactly an ally. I just don't think he cares that much one way or another. Transgender people may not be his biggest concern, either -- but he knows that attacking them will be popular with his base.
Not to draw the thread off topic any further, I can't recall any quotes from Trump regarding gay people.
He has thrown Michael Pence under the bus on this, if you believe "anonymous sources"
The story, citing two anonymous sources, said Trump enjoys needling the conservative former Indiana governor about his views on abortion and homosexuality and, when a conversation with an unnamed legal scholar turned to gay rights, the president motioned to Pence and allegedly joked, "Don't ask that guy — he wants to hang them all!"
I don't know if I'd call this throwing Pence under the bus. That sounds more like a good-natured tease -- horrifying though the statement is -- as opposed to the way he treats, for example, Jeff Sessions.