A Biden-appointed federal judge demanded in a Wednesday hearing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth retract an X post regarding his policy to restrict transgender troops in the military.
Washington, D.C., District Court Judge Ana Reyes, during arguments regarding the Pentagon’s attempt to ban transgender individuals from the military, demanded that Hegseth remove the post by Monday, according to Fox News. Reyes had previously said in arguments regarding the ban that the existence of only two biological sexes, male and female, was not “biologically correct.”
Reyes was appointed under former President Joe Biden in 2023, serving as the first LGBT federal judge in D.C.
“Pentagon says transgender troops are disqualified from service without an exemption” https://t.co/VGa16iZKqf
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) February 27, 2025
Moreover, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals against Reyes in February, alleging she engaged in “hostile and egregious misconduct” when she questioned a DOJ attorney on his religious views during arguments in a manner that “compromised the dignity of the proceedings and demonstrated potential bias.”
The DOJ lawyers argued that Hegseth was using “shorthand” in his post that appeared to say they were barred without an exemption, urging Reyes to consider the exact wording of the policy.
“Do you really think you can do that, say one thing in public and then come here to court and say something else entirely?” Reyes asked in the hearing. “His words are that this covers all transgender people. I’m not going to speculate that he was just being sloppy.”
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Jan. 27 that ordered the Pentagon to update “trans-identifying medical standards for military service” and to “rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness.” The policy allows for waivers to be granted in special cases.
A myriad of transgender activist groups sued the Trump administration in January arguing that the ban was unconstitutional under equal protection granted by the Fifth Amendment.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the litigation.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/CSPAN)
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