A federal judge in Washington on Friday
kept in place a hold on President Donald Trump's ban on transgender
troops.
In a series of tweets in July, Trump
declared that the military will no longer “accept or allow”
transgender troops to serve “in any capacity.” Four lawsuits
have been filed challenging the ban.
(Related: Trump
says military will bar transgender troops.)
In a 31-page ruling, U.S. District
Judge Marsha Pechman said that transgender people represent a
“protected class.”
“The Court also rules that, because
transgender people have long been subjected to systemic oppression
and forced to live in silence, they are a protected class,” Pechman
wrote. “Therefore, any attempt to exclude them from military
service will be looked at with the highest level of care, and will be
subject to the Court’s “strict scrutiny.” This means that
before Defendants can implement the Ban, they must show that it was
sincerely motivated by compelling interests, rather than by prejudice
or stereotype, and that it is narrowly tailored to achieve those
interests.”
Plaintiffs in the case, nine
transgender people who are serving or wish to serve in the military,
three groups and the state of Washington, are represented by Lambda
Legal and OutServe-SLDN.
Pechman first halted implementation of
the ban in a December ruling, saying that the policy “is likely
unconstitutional.”
According to the Los
Angeles Blade, Pechman refused to issue a permanent
injunction, which means the case is likely heading to trial.