U.S. Navy Has Granted A Waiver Allowing A Trans Sailor To Serve Openly
For the first time, the U.S. army has granted a waiver allowing a trans sailor to serve in the military, despite the president’s ban on trans people serving openly in the armed forces.
The sailor, only known as 'Jane Doe’ “requested a waiver to serve in their preferred gender” and will be “allowed to adhere to standards associated with their preferred gender, such as uniforms and grooming,” said Navy spokesperson Lt. Brittany Stephens.
SPART*A, an organisation that advocates for transgender service members, stated that the organisation is “ecstatic” about the Navy’s announcement.
“I am hopeful that this is the first of many,” said SPART*A President Emma Shinn, “but the fight is far from over.”
As ‘NBC News’ reports, in July 2017 President Donald Trump announced that he intended to prohibit trans troops from serving openly in the military. The ban was initially blocked but eventually the Supreme Court lifted the injunctions.
In March 2018 specific guidelines allowed trans people to remain in active duty if they served in accordance with their “biological sex” or received a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a medical professional before April 2019.
Jennifer Levi, transgender rights project director for GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders and one of Jane Doe's attorneys, noted in a statement that there are other “equally qualified transgender service members … have sought waivers and are still in limbo, despite being perfectly fit to serve.”
Jane Doe, who was just seeking to be allowed to continue her service, has been a member of the Navy since 2011. Jennifer Levi stated that “dedicated military service members shouldn’t have to bring a lawsuit to be able to continue doing their job.”
Legal and policy director for the Modern Military Association of America Peter Perkowski, argued the Trump administration “may attempt to weaponize the decision by falsely claiming the ban isn't a ban.”
“MMAA is committed to ensuring the unconscionable … transgender military ban is overturned and any qualified transgender patriot is free to serve openly and authentically,” Perkowski stated.
Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and an attorney for Jane Doe, stated that “there is no basis for treating transgender service members differently by requiring them to seek a waiver that no one else has to obtain in order to continue to serve.”
Read related myGwork articles here:
Calls Grow For Trans Military Ban To Be Lifted In The U.S.
House of Representatives Votes to End Trump’s Trans Military Ban
Funding for Trump’s Ban on Trans Military Soldiers Stopped by Democrats
California National Guard Will Not Obey Trump’s Ban on Transgender People
13,700 Trans Military Service People Will Lose Their Jobs Today
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