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The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to enforce its ban on transgender military service members, at least temporarily. The decision, made on Tuesday (May 6), blocks a lower court order that had halted the ban's enforcement. The court's three liberal justices opposed the decision.
President Donald Trump, shortly after being sworn in for a second term, signed an executive order banning transgender individuals from serving in the military. The Defense Department then barred transgender individuals from enlisting and discharged active duty service members. This policy is more extensive than the previous ban during Trump's first administration, which was reversed by President Joe Biden.
The current policy targets those with "gender dysphoria," a condition where a person's experienced gender does not match their assigned gender at birth. According to the Pentagon, about 0.2% of U.S. military members experience gender dysphoria. The administration argues that the policy does not discriminate against transgender individuals but focuses on a medical condition.
The ban faced a legal challenge from a group of transgender service members, including Navy pilot Emily Schilling. They argued that the ban violates their constitutional right to equal protection. Judge Benjamin Settle initially blocked the policy, stating that banning those with gender dysphoria is effectively a ban on transgender individuals.
Despite this, the Supreme Court's decision allows the Trump administration to proceed with the ban for now. Advocacy groups like Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign have criticized the ruling, calling it a "devastating blow" to transgender service members.