David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin joined a coalition of 15 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief opposing the Trump Administration’s plans to ban open military service by transgender individuals. The amicus brief, filed today with the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Stone v. Trump, argues that banning transgender individuals serving in the military is unconstitutional, against the interest of national defense, and harmful to the transgender community at large.

Hawaii earlier this month joined in an amicus brief in another case challenging the ban, Doe v. Trump, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In today’s brief, the attorneys general present similar arguments in support of the rights of transgender people to live with dignity, to be free from discrimination, and to participate fully and equally in all aspects of civic life, and argue that these interests are all best served by allowing transgender people to serve openly in the military.

Led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, other states joining in today’s brief include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.

A copy of the amicus brief is attached.

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For more information, contact:
Joshua A. Wisch
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
(808) 586-1284
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://ag.hawaii.gov
Twitter: @ATGHIgov