Mattis: For now, transgender troops can keep serving

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 has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.