On March 18, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes blocked the Trump administration’s ban on transgender military service members, issuing a preliminary injunction, The Advocate reported.
Reyes ruled in Talbott v. Trump that the administration’s policy probably violates the constitutional rights of trans service members, finding that the government failed to provide evidence that banning them serves a legitimate military purpose. “The ban at bottom invokes derogatory language to target a vulnerable group in violation of the Fifth Amendment,” she wrote.
The Trump administration claimed the ban was necessary for “military readiness, unit cohesion, and cost reduction.” Regarding the latter, Reyes questioned that portion of the government’s claim, noting that the military spends almost eight times more on Viagra than it does on transgender healthcare.
GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights brought the case on behalf of 20 transgender people who are serving or who were preparing to serve in the armed services.
The injunction prevents the ban from taking effect while the case proceeds.
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