Yet another Donald Trump Executive Order is failing miserably: CNN is reporting that a federal judge in Washington blocked the Trump administration Monday from enforcing parts of its transgender military ban.
“have established that they will be injured by these directives, due both to the inherent inequality they impose, and the risk of discharge and denial of accession that they engender. ”
She blocked provisions having to do with accession and retention directives — meaning directives concerning joining and retaining military personnel.
The government had argued that the lawsuit was premature and moved to dismiss the case because the policy is still subject to review.
Transgender Ban Injunction Sides with Military Readiness Over Politics
Palm Center Director Aaron Belkin released the following statement after the federal court in Doe v. Trump, the first lawsuit challenging President Trump’s transgender ban, enjoined the military enforcing the ban :
“President Trump’s attempt to ban honorably serving transgender troops was a ham-handed effort to prioritize politics and outdated culture-war values over the constitution, military readiness and the weight of empirical evidence. Transgender troops have been serving openly in the U.S. military for more than a year, and have been widely praised by commanders. Today’s court order should ensure that, at least for the time being, they can continue to focus on their jobs and protecting our country.
“Researchers at the RAND Corporation and elsewhere have consistently found that inclusive policy for transgender troops enhances military readiness, a point confirmed by the statement of 56 retired Generals and Admirals, the military’s own study of the topic, and the real-world experiences of 18 foreign militaries. It is unprecedented in modern American history, and offensive to core military values, to welcome a group of citizens into the military, only to turn around and fire them just because some people don’t like who they are. Federal courts play a crucial role in civilian oversight of the military, and in preventing the current White House from recklessly prioritizing politics and emotion over the well-being of the troops.”