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Log Cabin Republicans Responds to Supreme Court Action on Transgender Military Service

January 22, 2019

Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a temporary stay in a pair of cases that will ultimately determine whether transgender Americans may serve in the military. The action permits the U.S. Department of Defense to bar transgender Americans from military service while the two cases, Trump v. Karnoski and Trump v. Stockman, continue to make their way through the courts. Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director, Jerri Ann Henry, issued the following statement in response:

"Log Cabin Republicans is disappointed to learn that the U.S. Department of Defense can resume its policy barring transgender Americans from joining the military while the Karnoski and Stockman cases make their way through the courts. Transgender military personnel have served their country honorably and openly for the past two and a half years, and all indicators point to our national defense being stronger for their presence - the most salient indicator being that the disputed policy actually permits the continued service of transgender personnel who came out in light of the 2016 policy.

"Our organization is steadfast in attesting that military readiness should be determined on an individual basis. Disqualifying an entire class of Americans from serving their country denies these individuals the freedom of expression granted to them by virtue of the Constitution and repeatedly upheld by judicial precedent.

"In this time of uncertainty, this historical precedent buoys our hope that this chapter can meet a just end. Eight years ago, the nation's highest court similarly decided to permit the Obama Administration to continue enforcing Don't Ask Don't Tell, the law barring gay and lesbian service members from openly serving their country, in its ruling in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States. It was in light of this ruling that Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the bipartisan legislation that ultimately overturned the discriminatory ban on gay and lesbian military service. Log Cabin Republicans will continue working with Republicans in the White House and Congress to overturn unnecessary bans that violate the civil liberties of our service members and weaken our national defense."