Supreme Court Permits Enforcement of Trump’s Transgender Military Ban

Washington, D.C. — In a significant legal development, the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration's policy banning transgender individuals from serving in the military to take effect while ongoing legal challenges proceed. The decision, issued on May 6, 2025, lifts a previous nationwide injunction, enabling the Department of Defense to implement the policy immediately.

The Court's unsigned order saw dissent from the three liberal justices—Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson—who would have denied the administration's request. The majority did not provide a detailed explanation, a common practice for emergency appeals.

President Trump's policy, reinstated shortly after he took office in January, prohibits individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria from serving in the military. The administration argues that such conditions are incompatible with the mental and physical standards required for military service. The Department of Defense stated that the constraints associated with gender dysphoria are "incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service." 

Legal challenges to the policy have been mounted by transgender service members and advocacy groups, who argue that the ban is discriminatory and lacks evidence of harm caused by transgender personnel. U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle previously ruled that the policy violated the Constitution's equal protection clause, describing it as a "de facto blanket ban on transgender service."

Despite these challenges, the Supreme Court's decision allows the administration to enforce the policy while litigation continues. The Department of Justice contended that lower courts improperly second-guessed the Pentagon's assessments, emphasizing the need for judicial deference to military judgments.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt hailed the decision as a "massive victory," stating that President Trump is "restoring a military that is focused on readiness and lethality—not DEI or woke gender ideology."

The policy's reinstatement marks a return to the administration's earlier stance during Trump's first term, which had been reversed by President Joe Biden. Under the current policy, transgender individuals are barred from joining the military, and existing service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria may face discharge. Additionally, the Pentagon has ceased providing gender-affirming medical care to transgender service members.

Estimates suggest that the policy could impact up to 15,000 transgender service members currently serving. Advocacy groups, including Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, have condemned the ruling, asserting that it is rooted in prejudice rather than military readiness.