Transgender people cleared to join military, for now

The Justice Department is putting its attempt to ban transgender military recruits on hold.

The decision means enlistment of transgender people can start Jan. 1.

But their future in the armed forces remains murky. The Justice Department isn’t dropping its court fight to uphold its proposed ban on transgender enlistment. Instead it says it will wait for a Pentagon study on the issue in coming weeks before deciding what to do.

A federal appeals court recently refused the Trump administration’s request to let the ban start Jan. 1. Other federal judges have also refused to side with the administration.

President Donald Trump said in July that the government would not allow transgender people to serve in the military, reversing Obama-era policy. So far he’s unable to achieve that ban.