Supreme Court Allows Trump’s Transgender Military Ban to Take Effect

The Supreme Court decided on Tuesday that the Trump administration’s policy regarding transgender individuals in the military can proceed while legal challenges are ongoing, effectively preventing transgender people from military service.

The 6-3 decision reversed a U.S. District Court’s injunction that had previously blocked the policy from being implemented.

In January, Trump signed an Executive Order, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” asserting that transgender troops did not meet the standards required for military service, and instructed the Department of Defense to implement a ban.

“A man’s declaration that he is a woman, and his demand that others acknowledge this falsehood, is inconsistent with the humility and selflessness expected of a service member,” the Executive Order stated. Trump had issued a similar order in 2017 during his previous term.

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) filed the lawsuit in January, arguing that the ban violates equal protection laws. Seven of the plaintiffs are currently serving in the military, while one is seeking to enlist.

The trans military ban is among several actions Trump has taken targeting the transgender community, including signing Executive Orders to prevent them from updating gender markers on federal documents and threatening to withdraw federal funding from hospitals providing gender-affirming care for minors.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson issued dissenting opinions in the ruling.