Federal judge says she may force Pete Hegseth to testify about his anti-trans commentshttps://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/10/federal-judge-says-she-may-force-pete-hegseth-to-testify-about-his-anti-trans-comments/ 🔗Molly Sprayregen (15 Oct 2026)
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes did not accept a Tuesday plea from the Justice Department (DOJ) to ignore Hegseth's comments in determining whether the trans ban is motivated by bias and, therefore, may run afoul of the Constitution.
The DOJ said Reyes should focus exclusively on what the policy states rather than what those implementing it say in public. Reyes reportedly told DOJ attorney Jared Littman, "That's not the case for an animus finding. We know that."
Reyes called out a few specific Hegseth comments, including a list of slurs he rattled off during a September 30 speech to military officers in Quantico, Virginia, regarding the different types of people he wants to remove from the military.
"We are no longer the woke department, or the weak department," he said. "Simple translation of that? No fatties- no fatties, no tr*ies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors." He added, "No more diversity. No more pronouns."
"I understand tray to be a derisive term for trans individuals," Reyes said. She also said his social media posts were fair game and that the plaintiffs have a right to information that will help them determine whether there is discriminatory intent behind the ban.
She also questioned Hegseth's new testosterone replacement therapy program for cisgender men, considering the administration has cited the costs of hormone treatments as one alleged motivation for banning trans service members.
@Sarah B
