News

Washington State Seeks To Join In Challenge To Transgender Military Ban

NWNews | By Austin Jenkins,

Austin Jenkins

Published September 25, 2017 at 4:52 PM PDT

The state of Washington will petition to join a lawsuit that challenges President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military, Democratic Governor Jay Inslee announced on Monday.

"We recognize that the military, and that includes our Washington state National Guard, attracts incredibly talented and dedicated individuals and we want to continue to attract that talent without discrimination," Inslee said.

The Washington National Guard said it’s aware of one transgender person currently serving in its ranks. The guard has roughly 8,000 members.

Trump announced the ban on transgender people joining the military last month. It applies to any service in the armed forces, including the National Guard.

The state of Washington is petitioning to intervene in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Seattle on behalf of two transgender people who want to enlist.

Tags

Austin Jenkins

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy as well as the Washington State legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia." Prior to joining the Northwest News Network, Austin worked as a television reporter in Seattle, Portland and Boise. Austin is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Austin’s reporting has been recognized with awards from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Society of Professional Journalists.

See stories by Austin Jenkins

Austin Jenkins