Judge Temporarily Bars Dismissal of Two Transgender Men from the Air Force

Federal District Judge Christine O’Hearn issued a two-week order protecting two transgender men against dismissal from the Air Force due to Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from the military.

The case was brought by Master Sgt. Logan Ireland and Staff Sgt. Nicholas Bear Bade. O’Hearn wrote, “The loss of military service under the stigma of a policy that targets gender identity is not merely a loss of employment; it is a profound disruption of personal dignity, medical continuity, and public service.”

She found the plaintiffs likely to prevail on equal protection grounds and the Air Force unlikely to be able to justify treating them differently from other service members. The temporary protection provided by her ruling  prevents dismissal while the overall question of the legality of Trump’s order is decided by other courts, where it is not faring well.

After Trump signed his executive order, the plaintifs were soon forced into administrative absence. They were told they could only continue in the Air Force as women. Both plaintiffs medically transitioned. They live as men.

They were involuntarily sent back to their home bases for not meeting “female regulations and standards.”

Ireland was transferred from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to Hawaii. He has completed tours of duty in Afghanistan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. He received his commander’s top endorsement for Officer Training School but was suddenly denied entry.

Bade’s deployment to Kuwait ended in a forced return to New Jersey.

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