BREAKING: ACLU Sues Trump Over Transgender Military Ban

Six Plaintiffs Have Served More Than 54 Years Combined

The ACLU is suing President Donald Trump and four members of the Trump administration over the President’s ban on transgender service members. Late Friday President Trump signed a memo dictating guidance on implementation of the ban. The administration says the memo has been sent to the Dept. of Defense. 

“Each and every claim made by the President Trump to justify this ban can be easily debunked by the conclusions drawn from the Department of Defense’s own review process,” Josh Block, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project, said in a statement on the ACLU’s website Monday. 

“Allowing men and women who are transgender to serve openly and providing them with necessary health care does nothing to harm military readiness or unit cohesion,” Block added. “Men and women who are transgender with the courage and capacity to serve deserve more from their commander-in-chief.”

The ACLU, along with Covington & Burling LLP, filed the lawsuit Monday on behalf of the ACLU of Maryland and six transgender service members. 

The list of plaintiffs detailing their service is impressive. Together they have served over 54 years.

“Petty Officer First Class Brock Stone has served in the U.S. Navy for 9 years, including a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan,” the ACLU states. “He has received extensive and costly training and is skilled in his field. He has devoted and risked his life for the United States and is seeking nothing more than the ability to continue to do so on the same terms as his fellow officers.”

The other plaintiffs include:

• Staff Sergeant Cole has served in the U.S. Army for almost 10 years, including a one-year deployment to Afghanistan where she served as a team leader and designated marksman.

• Senior Airman Doe has served for approximately six years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, where he was awarded “Airman of the Year” for his flight and hopes to serve in the armed forces for his entire career. 

• Airman First Class George is a member of the Air National Guard. He is training as a nurse and intends to pursue a commission in the U.S. Army. 

• Petty Officer First Class Gilbert has served in the U.S. Navy for 13 years, including a one-year deployment to Afghanistan, and currently serves as an Information Technology specialist. 

• Technical Sergeant Parker served in the Marine Corps for four years and has served in the Air National Guard for 16 years, currently as a fuel technician.

The Director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project posted this tweet:

There are now at least three lawsuits against Trump’s ban.

SIGN OUR PETITION: Tell President Trump You Support Our Transgender Service Members and Oppose His New Ban

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Image by Ted Eytan via Flickr and a CC license