Mattis: For now, transgender troops can keep serving

Defense Secretary James Mattis.
(Image credit: John Thys/AFP/Getty Images)

Defense Secretary James Mattis announced on Tuesday that transgender troops can continue to serve in the military, pending the results of a study conducted by a group of experts in the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.

Last week, President Trump signed a memo that barred transgender people from joining the military, a reversal of former President Barack Obama's policy that allowed transgender individuals to serve. In a statement, Mattis said that once the panel "reports its recommendations and following my consultation with the secretary of Homeland Security, I will provide my advice to the president concerning implementation of his policy direction. In the interim, current policy with respect to currently serving members will remain in place."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.