Appeals Court Scolds Biden Judge, Sides with Hegseth on Transgender Military Ban
A federal appeals court on Tuesday sided with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the transgender military ban.
“In our view, the court afforded insufficient deference to the Secretary’s considered judgment. Accordingly, we stay the preliminary injunction pending the government’s appeal,” the DC Circuit Court of Appeals judges said, scolding Judge Reyes in a 2-1 decision.
The Circuit Judges included: Majority: Katsas (Trump), Rao (Trump), and Dissent: Pillard (Obama).
“The United States military enforces strict medical standards to ensure that only physically and mentally fit individuals join its ranks. For decades, these requirements barred service by individuals with gender dysphoria, a medical condition associated with clinically significant distress,” Judges Katsas wrote, with whom Judge Rao joined.
“The 2025 policy generally bars individuals with gender dysphoria from serving in the Armed Forces. The Secretary of Defense concluded that this policy would advance important military interests of combat readiness, unit cohesion, and cost control. In doing so, he consulted materials compiled to assess the 2016 and 2018 policy changes, as well as more recent studies regarding the impacts of gender dysphoria on those with the condition and on their military service. The district court nonetheless preliminarily enjoined the 2025 policy based on its own contrary assessment of the evidence,” Katsas wrote.