“We must honor the service and sacrifice of all members of our military by fighting for them when their rights are attacked,” said Attorney General Becerra. “California will not allow President Trump’s illegal, discriminatory and un-American actions to harm our people or our military. Marginalizing transgender servicemembers or any transgender American who wishes to serve our country faithfully and courageously will not occur on our watch.”

In addition to this filing, the Attorney General has filed several other friend-of-the-court briefs supporting LGBTQ servicemembers and veterans, including for lawsuits in Maryland and the District of Columbia that are also challenging the military service ban.

“Having the support of California’s Attorney General is invaluable in our fight against this administration’s reckless and dangerous actions,” said Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur. “This ban is having untold, negative impacts on our transgender service members and those who have taken steps to join the military, and having this support from California’s chief law enforcement official shows us that our state will fight alongside us for justice and equality.”

A hearing in Stockman v. Trump is scheduled for November 20 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Equality California and the seven individual plaintiffs in Stockman v. Trump are represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), and Latham & Watkins LLP.

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