Fit to serve their country

President Trump hasn’t given up on his ill-conceived plan to ban transgender individuals from the U.S. military. Last Friday, Trump issued an order stating that “transgender persons who require or have undergone gender transition are disqualified from military service.”

In a change from his earlier efforts to enact a ban, Trump’s new order allows the Pentagon to make exceptions allowing some transgender members to serve.

The Pentagon hasn’t released official data about how many transgender people are currently serving, but a Rand Corp. study estimated that there are between 1,320 and 6,630 of transgender individuals out of a force of 1.3 million active-duty troops.

Rand Corp. also found that allowing transgender people to serve would have “minimal” impact on both military readiness and health care costs.

The switch to allow the Pentagon some flexibility comes after court rulings froze Trump’s original ban, declaring it potentially unconstitutional.

The White House’s new order is also likely to end up in court. Civil rights advocates have pledged to continue fighting the ban, regardless of last week’s amendments.

They’ll have a strong case.

The courts rightly halted Trump’s original decision, which wasn’t based on any policy recommendations, studies or need. Decisions about military troops should be based on data and facts, not the president’s aversion to individuals who don’t fit into a neat gender box.

The new decision — which allows exceptions for service members who agree not to present as transgender or to do anything medically to change their gender — similarly lacks justification. It’s already caused confusion among troops and recruiters, who don’t know what it will mean for those currently serving or those who seek to serve in the future.

None of this is necessary. Trump’s decision lacks basis in both fact and procedure. The courts should reject it so that no one has to choose between being themselves and serving their country.