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The ruling allows Trump to immediately enforce his crusade against transgender military service members.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the Trump administration’s request to immediately enforce its ban on transgender military service, allowing the Pentagon to begin discharging service members with a diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria and to deny enlistment to transgender Americans. The decision, issued without a signed opinion, marks a major legal victory for President Trump and a significant rollback of LGBTQ+ rights in the military.
Several lower courts had ruled in favor of transgender plaintiffs. The Supreme Court’s three liberal justices publicly dissented.
The policy reinstates and expands upon Trump’s earlier transgender military ban from his first term, which had been reversed under President Joe Biden. Under the new guidance, service members who exhibit symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria will be “processed for separation,” according to a Pentagon memo. While the exact number of those affected is unclear, a 2023 estimate from a senior defense official identified more than 4,200 transgender service members with a formal diagnosis.
This story is developing.
Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support.
Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support.
