Donald Trump has lost again
(Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has lost another court battle over his transgender military ban.
The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has rejected a request from the Trump Administration to stay a legal ruling on the latest ban on openly transgender people serving in the military.
The Trump Administration wanted to get all holds on the ban lifted until every court battle was resolved – causing the transgender ban to be implemented.
(Getty)
The administration was responding to federal judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruling that transgender soldiers must be allowed to join the military from January 1.
And the latest decision means that transgender people will be able to sign up for the military in just six days.
The original ban was stopped in its tracks in August and similar bans have suffered defeat also.
Trump sparked outrage by announcing in July that he would impose a ban on transgender soldiers serving openly in the military.
Reversing a decision made under President Barack Obama, Trump claimed in a string of tweets that the military “cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail”.
But federal judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly filed an injunction in Washington, DC blocking parts of the order, ruling that a lawsuit brought by five active soldiers with more than 60 combined years of service was likely to win.
In contrast to Trump’s claim about the “tremendous military costs” of gender-affirming treatment, it has been discovered that military music, a single plane and viagra cost much, much more than transgender troops.
The Trump Administration has also been accused of misleading the court about the need for the transgender military ban.
(Getty)
There are no signs that the ban is set to come into force, with the Department of Defence having released a memo issuing extensive guidelines for trans people joining the military.
It said the military will allow transgender service members to join with their “preferred gender” and use their bathroom of choice.
The memo also placed emphasis on treating everyone with “dignity and respect”.
President Trump’s actions have been in stark contrast to his campaign promise that he would protect the LGBT community.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
He has attacked LGBT rights again and again since winning the election last year.
Now that the reality of the Trump Administration attacking LGBT rights has been seen post-election, victories like this latest court ruling take on even more significance.
