In a move that has reignited fierce national debate, the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to move forward with its controversial ban on transgender individuals serving in the military—even as legal challenges continue.
The policy stems from an executive order titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness”, signed just one week after Donald Trump assumed office as the 47th President of the United States. In the order, the administration claimed that gender identity inconsistent with biological sex could undermine military discipline, cohesion, and readiness.
It asserts that efforts to accommodate what it calls “political agendas” dilute military effectiveness and compromise the armed forces’ core values.
LGBTQ rights groups quickly mounted legal opposition. Two national organizations—LGBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders and the National Center for Lesbian Rights—filed a lawsuit on behalf of six active-duty transgender personnel and two others seeking to enlist.
In March 2025, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., temporarily blocked the order, stating it violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause and used language that “stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit.” Judge Reyes criticized the administration’s rationale as demeaning and unsupported by facts, noting that a balanced policy could still be crafted that honors both national security and civil rights.
But on May 6, the Supreme Court, in a split decision, sided with the Trump administration, lifting the injunction and allowing the policy to take effect. The order was unsigned, with the Court’s three liberal justices publicly dissenting.
The ruling prompted swift backlash from human rights advocates. Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation issued a joint statement condemning the decision: “By allowing this discriminatory ban to take effect while our challenge continues, the Court has temporarily sanctioned a policy that has nothing to do with military readiness and everything to do with prejudice.”
They continued: “Transgender individuals meet the same standards and demonstrate the same values as all who serve. We remain confident that this ban violates constitutional protections and will ultimately be struck down.”
As the legal battle continues, the future of transgender service in the U.S. military remains uncertain—but the issue has once again become a national flashpoint in the broader fight over civil rights and equality.