On October 30, federal judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly partially blocked the enforcement of President Trump’s ban on transgender troops serving in the military. The presidential order would prevent the Pentagon from recruiting transgender people to military bases, as well as curtail any of the medical costs involved.  The order would have been effective beginning March 2018.  

  As the judge of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, Kollar-Kotelly  believed the ban was both unconstitutional and unjust, stating, “There is absolutely no support for the claim that the ongoing service of transgender people would have any negative effective on the military at all.”

  The 76-page document stated that the ban violated the 5th amendment in the Constitution and would only perpetuate more exclusion for the transgender community.  She also used Twitter to display her disapproval of Trump’s announcement of the issue.  

   Aleeza Adnan (10) showed her support of the injunction, stating, “I think the transgender community should be allowed to enter the military if they want, and it’s serving the country and benefiting us ultimately. Being a part of the LGBT community is already really difficult with them being discriminated against.”

    When the ban was first introduced by Trump in August, several civil rights groups, including the LGBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, were quick to protest.

   The judge has not yet stated any injunction on the gender reassignment surgery or costs imposed, although several have claimed that it falls under the partially blocked policy.