Washington judge blocks Trump's military transgender ban again

Federal judge Benjamin Settle from northwestern Washington temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's order prohibiting transgender individuals from serving in the military. This is the second such decision within a week, following a similar ruling by a judge in Washington.

Judge Settle's decision concerned a case brought by a group of transgender soldiers with many years of experience. They argued that the ban is discriminatory and offensive, and its implementation could irreparably harm their careers and reputations.

President Trump signed an executive order on January 27th, stating that the gender identity of transgender individuals is incompatible with military requirements, negatively affecting combat readiness. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced regulations that, by default, would disqualify transgender people from serving in the military.

The Gender Justice League (GJL), which includes transgender soldiers, was one of the entities challenging Trump's policy. Among them was U.S. Navy Commander Lieutenant Emily "Hawking" Shilling, who served in the military for over 19 years, including 100 kilometres per hour combat missions as a pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sasha Buchert from Lambda Legal, specializing in civil rights, emphasized that transgender individuals meet all physical and combat requirements, yet are forced to leave service solely because of their identity.

Jason Lynch, an attorney from the Department of Justice, claimed that the president has the right to make decisions on military matters. However, Judge Settle, nominated by former President George W. Bush, stated that the government has not presented evidence that the presence of transgender individuals in the military causes combat readiness problems.

According to the AP agency, thousands of transgender individuals serve in the military, constituting less than 1 percent of soldiers. In 2016, the Department of Defense allowed them to serve in the armed forces.