Supreme Court Declines Transgender Military Ban Cases but Permits Enforcement of Ban for Now

by Guest contributor

As this critical matter makes its way through the courts, brave transgender patriots deserve to have their constitutional rights protected.

The Supreme Court just declined to hear any cases challenging the Trump-Pence Administration’s ban on transgender troops, and WILL ALLOW the administration to move forward with implementing this discriminatory policy.

Simply put: The administration can now begin kicking transgender troops out of the military and denying trans people the opportunity to enlist in the first place … even as lawsuits like ours continue to play out.

The Trump-Pence ban on transgender troops is wrong, and a majority of Americans in all 50 states agree. Banning brave, qualified transgender troops from openly serving their country is discriminatory and unconstitutional. And top military officials, bipartisan lawmakers, and national security officials have warned that the policy will harm our military readiness.

That’s why HRC is doubling down and continuing to fight to protect thousands of brave transgender troops until we defeat this discriminatory policy once and for all. We’re thankful to Lambda Legal and Outserve-SLDN for their tireless work representing us in this case. HRC will remain on the frontlines of this fight.

With as many as 15,000 transgender service members and their families now at risk, there’s no time to waste. 

"Allowing Donald Trump and Mike Pence's transgender troop ban to go into effect harms both transgender service members and our national security," said HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride. "As this critical matter makes its way through the courts, brave transgender patriots deserve to have their constitutional rights protected. Today's decision thrusts this administration’s discriminatory agenda onto a military that clearly doesn't want it, and does so at the expense of transgender people's careers and service - and we remain committed to fighting for all transgender troops and thank Lambda Legal and Outserve-SLDN for their tireless work representing us in this case."

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SCOTUS