Trump drops challenge to transgender troops in military, opening door to Jan. 1 recruits
December 31, 2017 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie
Transgender individuals can openly sign up for military service for the first time starting Jan. 1 after the Trump administration announced Friday it will no longer challenge the enlistments.
Two federal appeals courts last week rejected the administration’s request to put on hold orders by lower court judges that would require the military to begin accepting transgender recruits on Jan. 1. The administration will not challenge those rulings, Reuters reported that a Justice Department official said.
The administration plans to wait for the Defense Department’s independent study on transgender in the military, which is expected out soon, Reuters said.
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“This is a major victory in the litigation and great news for transgender troops, transgender military academy and ROTC students, and transgender people who have been waiting to enlist,” said Shannon Minter, legal director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “There is no reason to exclude transgender people from military service, especially when they have already proved their ability to serve.”
There are more than 15,000 transgender people serving in the military today, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality, and about 134,000 U.S. veterans are transgender.
On Dec. 22, the D.C. Court of Appeals denied an administration request for an emergency stay that would delay transgender enlistment. The opinion noted the Defense Department issued guidance for processing transgender enlistees on Dec. 8, and criticized the administration for not properly informing the court of this.
About 50 retired military and national security officials submitted a brief noting the military began taking the necessary steps to prepare for enlistment by transgender individuals nearly a year and a half ago, and refuting the need for further delay.
The Palm Center released a report that countered administration claims the military would not be ready to process transgender enlistees by Jan. 1. Former military Surgeons General said in the report that training military medical examiners and recruiters to process these candidates would not be complicated or time-consuming and was nearly completed a year ago.
The Palm Center is a think tank based at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that studies topics including gender, sexuality and the military.
“We know this fight is not over,” said Jennifer Levi, project director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates Defenders (GLAD) Transgender Rights. “But having transgender people be allowed to openly enlist in the military marks a huge development and hopefully the beginning of the end of this baseless ban.”
