WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. court on Friday ruled in favor of a Trump administration policy barring certain transgender people from serving in the U.S. armed forces, handing the president his first legal victory on the issue after several defeats.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned a decision by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., that blocked the policy, saying it likely violates the constitutional rights of transgender recruits and service members.
President Trump issued an order late Friday that bans transgender individuals from serving in the armed forces except under "limited circumstances," reversing an Obama-era policy that allowed transgender troops to serve openly for the first time.
DOD Photo/U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro
President Donald Trump announced last summer that his proposed ban on transgender people in the U.S. military was the product of “consultation” with “Generals and military experts.”
The Department of Defense announced Dec. 11 that it will again allow transgender applicants to join the military starting Jan. 1, 2018, on the heels of a new court ruling against President Donald Trump’s announced ban on transgender service members.
A federal judge has blocked parts of President Donald Trump's presidential memo banning transgender Americans from military service, setting up a court dispute that the White House and its critics could possibly pursue to the Supreme Court.
