![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/scales-gavel-300x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN<\/strong><\/p>\n WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 A group of 17 transgender members of the Air Force are suing the U.S. government over what they say is the military\u2019s unlawful revocation of their early retirement pensions and benefits.<\/p>\n The lawsuit, filed in federal court Monday, comes several months after the Air Force confirmed that it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits.<\/p>\n It is just the latest in a series of legal challenges to the Trump administration\u2019s policies that have sought to push transgender troops out of the military since the early days of his second term. The U.S. Supreme Court in May, however, allowed the ban on trans troops to be enforced while legal challenges proceed.<\/p>\n According to GLAD Law, one of the advocacy groups that helped bring the lawsuit, service members affected by the policy will now face a loss of up to $2 million owed for their service over the course of their lifetimes in addition to the loss of health insurance benefits.<\/p>\n Michael Haley, a staff attorney with the group, said the revocation of the early retirement benefits was part of \u201cthe general cruelty in attacking transgender people.\u201d He noted that many of the plaintiffs had received orders allowing their retirements and that some had even begun the process of getting out of the military.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n