ACLU Comment on Bipartisan Bill Halting Ban on Transgender Military Service Members

WASHINGTON — Democratic and Republican members of Congress introduced a new bill in Congress (H.R. 4041) today that seeks an immediate halt to the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.

The bill was introduced by Reps. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), Susan Davis (D-Calif.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).

Ian Thompson, legislative representative with the American Civil Liberties Union, had the following reaction:

“The introduction of this legislation provides still more evidence that bipartisan opposition in Congress to President Trump’s discriminatory and unconstitutional ban on military service by transgender individuals is growing by the day. Reps. Speier, Dent, Davis, Ros-Lehtinen, Smith, and Sinema are to be commended for standing up for transgender service members, like those represented by the ACLU in our legal challenge, who have repeatedly proven that they have the courage and capacity to serve in our nation’s armed forces.

“We have seen one sweeping anti-LGBT action after another from this administration. The commitment of the Trump administration to discrimination is now crystal clear. Members of Congress who support equality under the law for LGBT people must use every tool at their disposal to fight back.”