Appeals court sides with Trump in transgender military case

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court is siding with the Trump administration in a case about the Pentagon’s policy of restricting military service by transgender people.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Friday that a lower-court judge was wrong to block the Pentagon from implementing its preferred policy. The unsigned ruling will not allow the Pentagon to put in place its desired policy, however, because three other judges have entered orders blocking the administration in similar cases.

Military policy until a few years ago had barred service by transgender people. That changed under President Barack Obama, but President Donald Trump said he would reverse course, leading to lawsuits by transgender people.

The administration already has asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on the issue. The high court has not said whether it will.