SAN FRANCISCO, CA – President Biden issued an Executive Order today repealing the Trump era ban on transgender members serving in the military. Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, made the following statement in response to the Biden administration’s announcement today that it will end the ban on transgender military service, restoring the inclusive … More President Biden Revokes Transgender Military Ban
In an historic 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis sex, also protects employees from discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Today’s decisions confirm workplace anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people across the … More With Landmark Supreme Court Victory LGBTQI Groups Reflect on Future
Story Describes New Policy Incorrectly; Wrongly Calls Americans “Divided” on the Issue, Understating Transgender Support SAN FRANCISCO, CA – An NPR story about the Trump transgender military ban which went into effect today described a key element of the policy incorrectly, and failed to use methodologically rigorous polling, resulting in understating the level of American and military … More Palm Center Corrects Misleading NPR Story on Trump Transgender Ban
Flag Officers Cite “Grave Concern” Over Damage to Military Integrity SAN FRANCISCO, CA – More than three dozen retired flag officers released a statement today calling the Trump administration’s use of “military judgment” to defend its transgender troop ban a “pretext [that] risks inflicting harms that go well beyond” the transgender service issue. The military leaders, … More 41 Retired Generals and Admirals Call Trump Transgender Ban an Abuse of Military Judgment
SAN FRANCISCO, CA– In today’s petitions asking the Supreme Court to allow President Trump’s ban on transgender service members to take effect, the Trump administration has repeated false claims about inclusive policy. Despite extensive data confirming that inclusive policy for transgender personnel has been a success, the administration asserts, without evidence, that the policy poses … More Trump Admin Repeats False Claims in Request to Supreme Court to Implement Transgender Military Ban
On Two Year Anniversary of Open Transgender Service, Consensus from Military Leadership that Inclusive Policy Works – SAN FRANCISCO, CA– Tomorrow, June 30th marks two years since the U.S. military officially began allowing transgender individuals to serve openly in its ranks. Those service members have compiled a record of distinction and earned consistent support from the highest ranks … More Open Transgender Service: Military Leadership Agree Inclusive Policy Works
Offers Expert Analysis of Meaning of Latest DOD Announcement SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Palm Center today released the below short memo describing the impact and status of the Trump administration’s ban on transgender service members. “Breaking Down the March 23, 2018 Transgender Military Ban” outlines what the Pentagon and White House released on Friday; explains … More Short Memo on Trump Transgender Military Ban by Palm Center
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A Pentagon memo proves that the Justice Department misled a federal court by claiming that the military is unprepared to accept transgender applicants on January 1st. The memo, whose subject is “Transgender Applicant Processing,” consists of a simple set of instructions for processing applications, and was distributed to commanders on December … More Pentagon Document Proves Justice Department Misinformed Federal Court about Transgender Ban
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. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly held that the plaintiffs: “have established that they will be injured by these directives, due both to the inherent inequality they … More Judge Blocks Trump Transgender Military Ban
Donald Trump on Friday formally ordered the Department of Defense to reverse a 2016 order allowing transgender individuals to serve openly in the military. The formal policy document comes a month after Trump surprised the Pentagon when he announced in a series of July 26 tweets that he would reverse the Obama-era policy change. The … More Trump Levels Unprecedented Attack Against Transgender Troops
Anti-LGBT Record of Trump’s Nominee for Air Force Secretary Seen as Troubling SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, released the following statement today regarding President Donald Trump’s nomination of former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson as Air Force Secretary: “The nomination of former Rep. Heather Wilson as Secretary of the Air Force raises … More Air Force Secretary Nominee Anti LGBT Record
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – As Trump appointees face off with Senators in confirmation hearings, we at O-Blog-Dee-O-Blog-Da will provide opinions and statements, noting the condemnation of these ridiculous Trump choices, many of whom clearly are unqualified and/or unable to perform these duties in the best interests of the American people: Retired Gen. James Mattis will attend … More Trump Confirmations | Mattis Past Positions on LGBT Troops and Women in Combat Raise Concerns
Posted by Melanie Nathan, July 13, 2015 New York, NY – The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) today responded to reports that Pentagon leaders are poised to end the ban on open transgender military service. The Associated Press reports that the the Pentagon is set to make a formal announcement this week that … More Responses to Reports that Pentagon is Moving to End Ban on Open Transgender Military Service
Groundbreaking Resolution Reflects Consensus that Policy is Outdated While Dismissing Military’s Rationale for Transgender Exclusion By Melanie Nathan, June 09, 2015. The American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s oldest and largest physicians group with nearly 220,000 members, made history today by passing a resolution declaring that “there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender … More Groundbreaking AMA Resolution No Medically Valid Reason for Military’s Transgender Ban
Retired General and Flag Officers Call on Military Services to Comply with Recent Department Of Defense Rules Affecting Transgender Personnel Posted by Melanie Nathan, November 26, 2014. Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, Major General Vance Coleman, and Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett, issued a joint statement today to accompany a new report showing that the Army, Air … More Generals Call on Military to Comply with DOD Transgender Rules
Palm Center and ACLU Host Convening on Lessons Learned from Transgender Service in Foreign Militaries Posted by Melanie Nathan, October 20, 2014. WASHINGTON, DC – Currently serving transgender service members from five of the 18 foreign militaries that allow transgender service today gathered alongside U.S. service members in Washington D.C. The gathering, Perspectives on Transgender Military Service … More Transgender Troops | Military Experts Historic International Conference
O-blog-dee-o-blog-da 