A Done Deal? Military to Resume Recruiting Transgenders
WASHINGTON – Transgender people are cleared to join the U.S. military, at least for now.
The Justice Department has made clear its proposed ban on transgender military recruits is on hold, but the future for transgenders in the military remains murky.
Several district courts and courts of appeals have ordered the Department of Defense to recruit transgender people in the new year.
The Department of Justice is waiting for a Pentagon study on the issue in the coming weeks before deciding what to do next.
President Donald Trump banned transgenders from the military last July, but a federal court refused to let his ban take effect.
The Center for Military Readiness, which tracks military and social issues, is concerned that the courts are being allowed to set military policy contrary to that of the commander in chief.
"The issue is not the military transgender policy alone, but who gets to decide what the policy will be," the president of the group, Elaine Donnelly, explained.
"By failing to petition the Supreme Court to stay the lower court orders, the DOJ has tacitly conceded that federal judges can make military policy and establish medical standards for enlistments," she said.
