By voice vote, the House today adopted an amendment to the fiscal 2021 Defense appropriations bill that would end the Trump administration’s severe restrictions on transgender people serving openly in the U.S. military.
The amendment was introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier, chairwoman of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee, and would block the use of funds to implement the ban
The amendment was part of a large number of amendments that were attached to the six-bill spending package that includes defense funding.
Issued in April, 2019, the Trump policy would bar transgender people from joining the military and possibly result in the discharge of transgender people already serving.
The policy permits waivers, but critics say they are virtually nonexistent.
The policy is already facing a lawsuit brought by Lambda Legal and the Modern Military Association of America (MMAA). In the case of Karnoski v. Trump, MMAA and Lambda Legal are currently challenging the constitutionality of the administration’s ban. The lawsuit represents six currently serving members of the armed services: three who seek to enlist; the American Military Partner Association (now part of MMAA); the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization; and Gender Justice League, a gender and sexuality civil and human rights organization, headquartered in Seattle.
