TRANSGENDER AMERICAN VETERANS ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Evan Young, President, TAVA evan@transveteran.org
Julz Carey, President, AVER, firstjulz@gmail.com
Denny Meyer, AVER/TAVA Public Affairs 718 849-5665

On Friday January 4^th the DC Circuit Court of Appeals vacated one of four injunctions preventing the Administration from implementing its ban on transgender military service.  Three other injunctions continue to prevent implementing a ban on transgender service.  The court conflict, however, advances the likelihood that the Administration’s ban will be considered by the Supreme Court.  The Administration had already requested the Supreme Court to skip waiting for a conflict to consider its ban, prior to the current DC Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling.

Banning patriotic Transgender volunteers from serving openly and proudly will force those who want to serve back into hiding, hindering the readiness of our armed forces, and be detrimental to recruitment at a time when the strength of our armed forces is essential.

Evan Young, President TAVA, said, “the Transgender American Veterans Association condemns the D.C. Court of Appeals lifting the injunction on the ban of transgender troops. Transgender service members are highly capable and have proven their worthiness of serving since our nations first wars. Inclusion of transgender service members is an integral part of unit cohesiveness and military readiness. Transgender actively serving and veterans alike have patriotically sacrificed their life to defend this nation, and we all are safer for it.”

Julz Carey, President of AVER, said that, “American values are upheld for the world to see when our armed forces are fully inclusive of all able bodied Americans who choose to volunteer to serve with courage and pride.  Banning Transgender troops or any minority diminishes our democracy, our national identity, and our readiness to defend freedom.”

American Veterans For Equal Rights (aver.us) is the nation’s LGBT veterans’ service organization serving the needs of our veterans and advocating for the rights and benefits of LGBT service members and veterans.

Transgender American Veterans Association (transveteran.org) is the national Transgender service organization advocating for the rights and benefits of Transgender service members and veterans.