Politics

Court Keeps Ban On Transgender People In The Military On Hold

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Grace Carr Reporter
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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld a block on President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people in the military Wednesday.

The court’s ruling to block the implementation of a ban against transgender servicemen and women means that they will be able to continue enlisting in the military until the case goes to trial, likely in April 2019.

The ruling comes after Judge Marsha Pechman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington granted a preliminary injunction in December 2017, blocking Trump’s ban.

Trump tweeted in June 2017 that he would not allow transgender persons to serve in the military. “After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow … Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military,” Trump tweeted. (RELATED: Pentagon To Allow Transgender Recruits)

Trump’s administration filed a motion against the lower court’s December decision to block the ban, but the 9th Circuit Court ruled again Wednesday against the request, noting that to stay the injunction would be to “upend, rather than preserve, the status quo,” The Hill reported.

A number of security officials and military officers wrote a letter in early July encouraging the 9th Circuit to uphold its decision to block Trump’s ban. “Excluding transgender individuals from patriotic service that they are trained and qualified to give based on group characteristics, rather than individual fitness to serve, undermines rather than promotes the national security interests of the United States,” they wrote.

Marines Commandant Gen. Robert Neller said the medical burden incurred by transgender people’s many medical needs has not been light. “There is a burden on the commands to handle all the medical stuff,” he told the Senate Armed Services Committee in April.

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