A Yucca Valley transgendered man may be able to join the Air Force next week after a judge in Riverside ruled that Donald Trump’s attempt to ban them is unconstitutional. In August, Trump sent out a tweet, evidently without discussing it with military officials, that he would “not accept or allow transgendered individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military.” Up until then, Aiden Stockman, 20, of Yucca Valley, who had come out as a transgendered male in the eighth grade and who began hormone replacement therapy in the 11th grade, had planned to enter the Air Force following his gender reassignment surgery. Stockman is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against Trump, claiming the policy directive denies him and the other plaintiffs equal protection of the laws, their right to freedom of expression, and their right to liberty and privacy. U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal ruled Friday that the ban is discriminatory based on sex or gender, and therefore violates the Constitution’s promise of equal protection of the laws. The Trump Administration has until Monday to file an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court.
