On Aug. 9, lawyers from the National Center for Lesbian Rights ( NCLR ) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders ( GLAD ) filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging President Trump's directive to reinstate a ban on transgender people serving in the military, according to an NCLR press release.
The suit, Doe v. Trump, was filed on behalf of five transgender service members with nearly 60 years of combined military service.
In June 2016, after s comprehensive review of the issue by military experts and others, the Department of Defense announced that transgender people could serve openly in all branches of the U.S. military. Since that time, thousands of transgender service members have begun to serve openly.
"Trump's directive to exclude transgender people from military service has created a tidal wave of harms that have already been felt throughout our armed services. Transgender service members have been blindsided by this shift and are scrambling to deal with what it means for their futures and their families," said Shannon Minter, a transgender legal expert and NCLR Legal Director. "The President's mistreatment of these dedicated troops will serve only to weaken and demoralize our armed forces."
In addition to NCLR and GLAD, the plaintiffs in Doe v. Trump are represented by lawyers from Foley, Hoag LLP and WilmerHale.
The complaint can be seen at www.nclrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/AS-FILED-COMPLAINT_Doe.v.Trump_-1.pdf .