World
India
The Trump administration has petitioned the US Supreme Court to allow for the immediate enforcement of a controversial ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, The Associated Press reported on Thursday.
According to the report, the Justice Department filed a formal request seeking to lift a nationwide injunction issued by US District Judge Benjamin Settle, based in Seattle. Judge Settle had previously blocked the enforcement of President Donald Trump’s executive order, finding that the ban likely violated the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.
In his ruling, Settle reportedly noted that there was “no evidence that trans troops harm military readiness.”
The administration’s move follows Trump’s January executive order, which described gender identity in transgender individuals as a “falsehood” and claimed that such individuals were incompatible with the values of military service. “A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honour this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member”, Trump’s order stated.
The directive marked a reversal of a policy introduced by President Joe Biden, who had allowed transgender individuals to serve in the armed forces during his presidency.
Following Trump’s order, the Pentagon issued formal guidance that barred individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria or those who had undergone gender transition from enlisting or continuing in military service. However, the guidance also introduced a limited waiver system to permit such individuals to serve if their contributions would directly support “war-fighting capabilities.”
