Transgender Service Members Sue Trump, Pentagon

Transgender service members who say they have served "honorably and successfully" in the military are suing the man who is trying to kick them out. Five service members filed a lawsuit Wednesday against President Trump and top Pentagon officials over Trump's call to ban transgender people from serving "in any capacity," reports CNN. The lawsuit, organized by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, calls the proposed ban unconstitutional, the AP reports. The active-duty service members involved have almost 60 years of service in the Air Force, the Coast Guard, and the Army between them, including tours of Afghanistan and Iraq.

In the lawsuit, the service members say they came out as transgender under the Obama administration, and have now lost "stability and certainty" in their careers. "Plaintiffs have served honorably and successfully in the military since coming out as transgender, and their transgender status has not had any detrimental effect on their ability to serve or to fulfill their duties," states the lawsuit, which seeks to block Trump's order before it is implemented. Other civil rights groups say they are preparing lawsuits of their own but are waiting until the administration takes concrete steps to put the ban into effect, the New York Times reports. (The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says the military is waiting for guidance.)