The Pentagon will allow transgender applicants for military service starting Jan. 1

The Pentagon is allowing transgender applicants for military service — (Image credit: Getty Images)

On Monday, the Pentagon announced that it will allow qualified transgender people to enlist in the military starting in January, in compliance with an order from the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration had appealed the court ruling, and the district court rejected an emergency stay on Monday. "As required by recent federal district court orders, the Department of Defense recently announced it will begin processing transgender applicants for military service on Jan. 1, 2018," the Defense Department said in a statement Monday. "This policy will be implemented while the Department of Justice appeals those court orders."

President Trump announced in July and signed a memorandum on Aug. 25 giving the Pentagon six months to develop a plan to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military, with the plan to take effect next March 23. The Pentagon will allow transgender enlistees who have completed their sex transition and "been stable in their preferred gender for 18 months."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.