WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court granted an emergency request from the Trump administration on Tuesday, allowing President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military to be implemented while litigation continues. The court lifted a nationwide injunction blocking the policy, with the brief order noting that the three liberal justices dissented.
The decision was a setback for seven individual transgender service members, led by Navy commander Emily Shilling, who had sued to block the ban. Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, organizations representing the plaintiffs, expressed disappointment in the ruling, calling it a “devastating blow” to transgender service members who have proven their capabilities and dedication to national defense.
The policy, announced in February, is a comprehensive ban disqualifying individuals with gender dysphoria or who have undergone medical interventions for gender dysphoria from military service. The government argued that the ban is necessary for military readiness and effectiveness, while challengers contended that it violates constitutional principles of equality.
In a separate case, a judge in Washington, D.C., also blocked the policy nationwide, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit temporarily put that ruling on hold pending further review. The Supreme Court has yet to issue a final decision on the matter.
