WASHINGTON — News reports on Monday said that Trump’s ban on transgender military personnel has been blocked by the U.S. District Court in Washington, DC.
The Associated Press reported that U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled that the transgender service members who had sued over Trump’s policy were likely to win and ordered a return to the situation that existed before the new policy this summer. She said in her ruling that the administration had provided no solid evidence for why a ban was needed.
The administration can appeal, but as of right now, the ban is unenforceable.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) celebrated the news on their website.
“Today’s preliminary injunction is an important step in the ongoing efforts to protect transgender service members from the dangerous and discriminatory policies of Donald Trump and Mike Pence,” said Sarah Warbelow, HRC’s Legal Director. “Donald Trump’s erratic tweets and half-baked orders disrespect the bravery of the countless transgender people who have fought, and in many cases died, for their country. The immediate harm to our national defense and to the thousands of transgender people serving and wishing to serve their country must be stopped — and we are grateful that a federal judge has blocked this administration from discharging any qualified individuals because of their gender identity while these cases continue to make their way through the courts.”
“We disagree with the court’s ruling and are currently evaluating the next steps,” said Justice Department spokesman Lauren Ehrsam. She also told the AP that the lawsuit was premature because the Pentagon was still in the process of reviewing the transgender policy.
The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) joined together to file the lawsuit.
“This is a complete victory for our plaintiffs and all transgender service members, who are now once again able to serve on equal terms and without the threat of being discharged,” said Shannon Minter, NCLR’s Legal Director, in a statement on the GLAD website. “We are grateful to the court for recognizing the gravity of these issues and putting a stop to this dangerous policy, which has wreaked havoc in the lives of transgender service members and their families.”
“This court saw straight through the smokescreen the government tried to create to hide the bias and prejudice behind Trump’s change in military policy. This clear, powerful ruling confirms that there is no legitimate reason to exclude transgender people from military service,” said Jennifer Levi, director of GLAD’s Transgender Rights Project. “Fighting discrimination isn’t easy, and to all the transgender members of the armed forces or those looking to join, I want to say thank you for your courage, not only in fighting for our country, but in fighting for the constitutional values of equality and justice.”
