20 Active-Duty Service Members File Lawsuit to Suspend Executive Order
U.S. Argues for Right to Exclude Those Deemed Unfit for Service
A U.S. court has blocked former President Donald Trump's executive order that effectively banned transgender individuals from military service.
On the 18th (local time), Reuters reported that "Judge Ana Reyes of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that President Trump's executive order regarding transgender military service appears to violate the U.S. Constitution's prohibition against sex discrimination."
Judge Reyes pointed out the "cruel irony" that while the military refuses to protect the equal rights of transgender soldiers, these individuals have risked their lives and made sacrifices to protect the rights of others.
Judge Reyes was appointed during former President Joe Biden's administration. President Trump signed the executive order effectively banning transgender military service on January 27.
Subsequently, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued an order to halt the recruitment of transgender new recruits and stopped all medical procedures related to gender transition.
He also announced plans to discharge transgender soldiers. In response, 20 active-duty service members filed a lawsuit seeking to suspend the enforcement of the executive order.
The plaintiffs argued that the executive order is illegal based on the 2020 Supreme Court ruling that employment discrimination against transgender individuals constitutes unlawful sex discrimination.
On the other hand, the government contended that the military has the right to exclude individuals with certain conditions deemed unfit for service. In the executive order, President Trump claimed that "soldiers whose gender identity differs from their biological sex conflict with the military's commitment to honor and discipline."
However, Judge Reyes noted in her ruling that the government acknowledged the plaintiffs as excellent soldiers and "living proof that transgender individuals possess the warrior spirit, physical and mental health, altruism, honor, and integrity necessary to excel as military personnel."
During his first term, President Trump had already issued a similar executive order banning transgender service members. However, at that time, transgender soldiers already serving were allowed to continue their service.
The plaintiffs' attorney welcomed the decision, stating, "The court systematically documented the specific harm the government's actions inflict on brave transgender soldiers who only wish to serve their country honorably," and praised the ruling as "firm and swift."
According to Department of Defense data, there are approximately 1.3 million active-duty service members currently serving. Transgender rights advocacy groups estimate the number of transgender soldiers to be around 15,000, while military authorities report only a few thousand.
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