The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed President Donald Trump to enforce his ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. The justices granted an emergency request from the Trump administration to lift a nationwide injunction that had blocked the policy while legal challenges continue.
The court’s brief order indicated that three liberal justices dissented. This decision marks a setback for the seven transgender service members, including lead plaintiff Emily Shilling, a Navy commander, who had filed the lawsuit to prevent the ban.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed support for the ruling, posting, “No more trans @ DoD,” on X, and in a video earlier, he was seen saying, “No more dudes in dresses. We are done with that s—.” There are approximately 4,000 transgender individuals currently serving in the military, though some activists estimate the number is higher.
In response to the ruling, Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which represent the plaintiffs, called the decision a “devastating blow” for transgender service members and argued that the policy was driven by prejudice rather than military readiness.
In a separate case, a judge in Washington, D.C., had also blocked the policy, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit temporarily suspended that ruling while considering whether to block it permanently.
The policy, announced in February, imposes stricter limits than a previous ban during Trump’s first term. It generally disqualifies individuals with gender dysphoria or those who have undergone related medical treatments from military service. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, representing the administration, argued that the courts should defer to the Defense Department’s judgment on military matters, citing a Pentagon report from the first Trump administration that stated people with gender dysphoria could undermine “military effectiveness and lethality.”
The challengers, however, contend that the ban violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause and other constitutional provisions, emphasizing that transgender service members have proven their capability. The policy was rolled back by then-President Joe Biden, but Trump’s revised ban has sparked ongoing legal battles.
