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Transgender members in U.S. military may
serve until study completed: Mattis
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 [August 30, 2017]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense
Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday current policy regarding
transgender personnel serving in the military would remain in place
until he advises President Donald Trump on how to implement his
directive on a transgender ban.
Mattis said in a statement he would set up a panel of experts serving in
the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to provide
recommendations on implementing the ban.
He said he would advise the president after the panel reports it
recommendations, and "in the interim, current policy with respect to
currently serving members will remain in place."
Trump signed a memorandum on Friday directing the U.S. military not to
accept transgender men and women as recruits and halting the use of
government funds for sex-reassignment surgeries for active personnel
unless the process is already under way.
A White House official who briefed reporters about the memo on Friday
declined to specify whether transgender men and women who are currently
active in the military could continue to serve based on such criteria.
The memo called on Mattis to submit a plan to Trump by Feb. 21, on how
to implement the changes.
Mattis said he expects to issue other guidance "including any necessary
interim adjustments to procedures, to ensure the continued combat
readiness of the force until our final policy on this subject is
issued."
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U.S. Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis leaves a news conference after
a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in
Brussels, Belgium June 29, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Vidal
Trump's directive created uncertainty for thousands of transgender
service members, many of whom came out after the Pentagon said in
2016 it would allow transgender people to serve openly.
The decision appealed to some in Trump's conservative political base
while drawing criticism from advocates of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) rights.
Civil rights groups filed two new lawsuits on Monday challenging
Trump's ban.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by
Cynthia Osterman)
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