President Donald Trump’s administration has appealed to the Supreme Court to allow the enforcement of a ban on transgender individuals in the military while legal challenges proceed.
The big picture: The Solicitor General, D. John Sauer, argued that without an order from the Supreme Court, the ban could not take effect for several months, a period deemed too long for the military to be compelled to maintain a policy contrary to military readiness and the nation’s interests.
- A federal appeals court previously issued a brief order that upheld a court order blocking the policy nationwide, prompting the administration to seek a Supreme Court intervention.
- The administration is requesting the court to allow the ban to take effect nationwide, with the exception of the seven service members and one aspiring member of the military who brought the lawsuit against the ban.
Driving the news: After beginning his second term, Trump took swift action to reverse the rights of transgender individuals, including an executive order that highlighted alleged conflicts between transgender identity and military commitment, leading to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issuing a policy presumptively disqualifying transgender individuals from military service.
- Following legal challenges, a U.S. District Court Judge in Tacoma, Washington, ruled in favor of long-serving transgender military members, stating that the ban is insulting and discriminatory, causing lasting harm to their careers and reputations.
- The judge questioned the sudden ban on transgender troops, noting their ability to serve openly in the past four years without evidence of issues, and highlighted the lack of explanation from the Trump administration on the need for the ban.
