Updated on Aug. 26 at 9:00 a.m.:
Donald Trump signed an order banning transgender people from entering the military on Friday, August 25, The New York Times reports. However, Trump's directive states that he would consider allowing transgender military members to join if Defense Secretary Jim Mattis "provides a recommendation to the contrary that I find convincing."
The order leaves the decision of how to address the transgender people currently serving to Mattis. Trump is requiring him to come up with a plan within six months. An anonymous White House official told The Times that the military is no longer spending money on transgender people's transitions unless denying them such care would endanger their health. Mattis plans to take the military's budget into consideration but hasn't announced what he plans to do.
Updated on Aug. 9 at 5:00 p.m.:
Five active duty transgender service members filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump on Aug. 9 as a result of his planned ban on transgender people in the military.
According to CNN, the five military members — who are not named in the lawsuit — argue that the ban Trump proposed on Twitter is unconstitutional. Because they are openly transgender, CNN reports the service members depend on former President Obama's guidance allowing transgender members to openly serve, which became a rule in 2016. The lawsuit alleges that under Trump's ban, the transgender members would lose the career and benefits. Furthermore, the lawsuit says they are capable of serving.
"Because they identified themselves as transgender in reliance on (the Obama-era) earlier promise, Plaintiffs have lost the stability and certainty they had in their careers and benefits, including post-military and retirement benefits that depend on the length of their service," attorneys wrote in the court filing, CNN reported. "Plaintiffs have served honorably and successfully in the military since coming out as transgender, and their transgender status has not had any detrimental effect on their ability to serve or to fulfill their duties."
Previously...
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on July 27, just one day after President Donald Trump announced a ban on transgender people in the military, that the armed forces will take no action on the President's ban until the White House formally issues the order.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford wrote in a memo to military leadership that there would be “no modifications” to personnel policies, despite Trump's announcement of the ban on Twitter. Until the White House issues a ban through proper channels, Gen. Dunford said the military will "treat all of our personnel with respect."
Early on July 26, Donald Trump announced on Twitter that he'd reinstate a ban lifted by Obama's administration roughly a year ago that barred transgender people from serving in the military.
"After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you," he tweeted. Trump and his administration, however, didn't cite any specific evidence of "tremendous medical costs" or "disruption," nor did he name the generals and military experts he consulted on the matter.
Furthermore, a report published by nonprofit global policy think tank RAND Corporation looking at the implications of trans people openly serving in the military completely contradicts both of Trump's claims. The report states that covering costs for trans military personnel who wish to undergo gender-affirming procedures would cost between $2.4 million and $8.4 million each year, only a 0.04-0.13% increase in overall healthcare spending for active personnel. Researchers also stated that having transgender people openly serve in the military has "minimal likely impact" when it comes to force readiness.
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According to The New York Times, the move is an about-face from what Trump administrators stated previously about decisions on transgender people in the military. Just last month, Secretary of Defense James Mattis said he'd give military leaders a six-month extension to decide how they wanted to proceed with transgender recruits.
Trump's decision appears to be part of an ongoing agenda from the administration to curb LGBTQ rights. “President Trump today issued a direct attack on transgender Americans, and his administration will stop at nothing to implement its anti-LGBTQ ideology within our government – even if it means denying some of our bravest Americans the right to serve and protect our nation,” Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD, said in a statement. “Today further exposed President Trump’s overall goal to erase LGBTQ Americans from this nation. Trump has never been a friend to LGBTQ Americans, and this action couldn’t make that any more clear.”
Trump's statement is also a direct rollback of a policy out of many made during President Barack Obama's administration in an effort to make the military more women- and LGBTQ-friendly. His administrators lifted the ban on transgender people serving in the military in 2016, and the Pentagon started allowing women to serve in combat roles in 2013. Additionally, Eric Fanning became the first openly gay Army secretary in 2016.
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