Attorneys at Center of Legal Fight Against the Ban Applaud Congress for Standing by Transgender Troops

Washington, D.C. — GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) released the following statements on today’s introduction of legislation in both houses of Congress to protect our military’s transgender service members:

“The bills introduced today affirm that anyone who meets military standards should be able to serve their country. We appreciate that leaders in Congress are stepping in to protect our troops and work for a solution at the same time our legal fight for the rights of transgender service members continues,” said Jennifer Levi, GLAD’s Transgender Rights Project director.

“We applaud Congress for recognizing that all service members deserve our nation’s gratitude and respect,” said Shannon Minter, legal director at NCLR. “These bills echo what multiple courts have already recognized – the ban on transgender troops is based on discrimination, not facts.”

GLAD and NCLR have been at the center of the legal fight challenging the Trump-Pence transgender military ban since filing the first lawsuit against the ban, Doe v. Trump, on August 9, 2017.

The ban currently remains blocked while injunctions issued by the district court in Doe v. Trump and by a Maryland district court remain in place. On January 22, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the injunctions in two other cases, while also rejecting the Trump administration’s request that it hear legal challenges to Trump’s transgender military ban this term.

For additional legal background and timeline, please visit notransmilitaryban.org.