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Frank Franklin II

Transgender people can join the US military from tomorrow - for now

The proposed ban is currently on hold.

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT of the US has made clear its proposed ban on transgender military recruits is on hold, meaning their enlistment can start on Monday.

But the future for transgender people in the armed forces remains murky.

The Justice Department isn’t dropping its court fight to institute the ban on transgender enlistment but said yesterday it would wait for a Pentagon study on the issue in coming weeks before deciding what to do next.

President Donald Trump said in July that the government would not allow transgender people to serve in the military, reversing Obama-era policy. So far he’s been unable to achieve that prohibition.

On 22 December, a panel of the federal appeals court in the District of Columbia refused the Trump administration’s request to let the ban start on 1 January. Other federal judges have also refused to side with the administration.

The Pentagon said then that it would allow transgender enlistment to start with the new year and continue as legal struggles play out.

The Justice Department said yesterday the Pentagon “will be releasing an independent study of these issues in the coming weeks,” so the administration will not litigate an appeal in the meantime.

That stance clarifies that enlistments can start on 1 January and existing transgender service members are protected from being discharged at least for now.

“We are relieved that we don’t have to hit pause on the constitutional rights of transgender people who are willing and able to serve our country,” said Peter Renn, senior attorney for Lambda Legal, one of the groups fighting the ban in court.

Read: Judge rules transgender people are free to enlist in the US military from January>

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    Jun 24th 2013, 12:34 PM

    AOL still exists?

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    Jun 24th 2013, 1:47 PM

    Yeah they still exist. The only tech company whose stock price has tripled in the past year.

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    Jun 24th 2013, 2:05 PM

    woah 1998 called to offer me a job! hurrah!

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    Jun 24th 2013, 12:14 PM

    Great news for Dublin and Ireland now maybe Matt who is on the dole in London can come home to his council pad and hgelp his mum.

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    Jun 24th 2013, 1:26 PM

    A face only a mother could love. Bless!!

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    Jun 24th 2013, 1:23 PM

    AO who?

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    Jun 24th 2013, 7:51 PM

    AO,AO AO

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    Jun 25th 2013, 12:32 PM

    Pity AOK sold off the Waterford operation to talk talk which eventually cost that city 570 jobs!

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