Pete Hegseth has proposed that federal judges be required to spend time on military bases as part of their decision making process. This suggestion was made in response to a judge ruling that the Pentagon must admit transgender troops. The ruling was indicative of ongoing legal growth for transgender rights in the military.
The case in question saw the Pentagon instructed to allow transgender individuals to enlist, a ruling that had initially been placed in the balance by President Trump’s tweets hinting at a reversal of policy. Judge Marvin J. Garbis presided over the case, and deemed that the proposed ban on transgender service in the military was “unjustifiable.”
This outcome sparked a reaction from Hegseth, an Army veteran and Fox News contributor, who voiced his concerns over how such rulings might impact the military’s combat readiness. He said, “we are talking about the United States military here. We’re talking about war. I wish one of those federal judges, and I’m serious about this, would volunteer at a base… because then they would master the reality.”
However, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who has been involved in the legal fight against the proposed transgender ban, holds a differing perspective. Joshua Block, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU, argued that military decisions should be based on evidence and not on politicized prejudices. He said, “Individuals who are fit and qualified to serve should be allowed to do so, without regard to their gender identity.”
The issue of transgender military service has been contentious and highly politicized since 2016, when then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter lifted the ban. The new administration under President Trump has sought to revert this decision, but various legal challenges have been mounted in response.
This latest ruling by Judge Garbis is the second in less than a month to block the potential transgender ban, following a similar judgement delivered by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. It is anticipated that the legal challenges to the proposed ban will continue to evolve in the US courts.
Last modified: March 23, 2025
