WASHINGTON: Transgender people will be allowed for the first time to enlist in the US military starting on Monday as ordered by federal courts, the Pentagon said on Friday, after President Donald Trump´s administration decided not to appeal rulings that blocked his transgender ban.
Two federal appeals courts, one in Washington and one in Virginia, last week rejected the administration´s request to put on hold orders by lower court judges requiring the military to begin accepting transgender recruits on Jan.1. A Justice Department official said the administration will not challenge those rulings.
"The Department of Defence has announced that it will be releasing an independent study of these issues in the coming weeks.
So rather than litigate this interim appeal before that occurs, the administration has decided to wait for DOD´s study and will continue to defend the president´s lawful authority in District Court in the meantime," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. In September, the Pentagon said it had created a panel of senior officials to study how to implement a directive by Trump to prohibit transgender individuals from serving. The Defence Department has until Feb.21 to submit a plan to Trump.
Lawyers representing currently-serving transgender service members and aspiring recruits said they had expected the administration to appeal the rulings to the conservative-majority Supreme Court, but were hoping that would
not happen.
Pentagon spokeswoman Heather Babb said in a statement: "As mandated by court order, the Department of Defence is prepared to begin accessing transgender applicants for military service Jan.1. All applicants must meet all accession standards.
"Jennifer Levi, a lawyer with gay, lesbian and transgender advocacy group GLAD, called the decision not to appeal "great news.
from The News International - World http://ift.tt/2DC87uO
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