Lawmakers: Reverse transgender troop ban

WASHINGTON – More than 100 members of Congress signed a letter Tuesday calling on Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to reverse the Pentagon’s ban on most transgender people from military service, citing medical studies that show no need to exclude them.

The letter, authored by Rep. Joe Kennedy III, DMass., takes aim at the Pentagon study that recommended transgender people be allowed to serve only under limited circumstances. Kennedy and his colleagues accused the Pentagon of “cherry-picking” outdated studies to reach its conclusion.

“There is a deep chasm between established medical research and the underlying analysis your Department used to justify this policy, and we call on you to reverse your recommendations,” Kennedy wrote.

The letter also called on Mattis to identify the members of the panel he chose to develop guidelines on transgender service. The panel was chosen after President Donald Trump last July called for a ban on transgender troops in a tweet.

Trump approved the new ban developed under the direction of Mattis, but federal lawsuits have prevented it from taking effect.

The ban would overturn an Obama-era initiative from 2016 that allowed transgender troops to serve openly, seek treatment and join the services.

James Madara, a physician and CEO for the AMA, has written that there is no “medically valid reason – including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria – to exclude transgender individuals from military service.”

In April, Mattis defended the policy in testimony on Capitol Hill. He said rules put in place in 2016 allowing transgender troops to serve openly had prevented military officials from discussing problems associated with their service.