High Court, Low Blow: SCOTUS Bans Transgender Soldiers From Military Service

Attacks against the LGBTQIA+ community continue in 2025. Hate is now being targeted towards transgender individuals serving in the military. The U.S. Supreme Court has permitted the Trump administration to enforce its ban on trans folks serving in the armed forces – forcing them to leave their posts.

Here is a breakdown of the shocking decision and how it will impact transgender people serving in the military.

The military has deemed transgender folks unfit to serve.

On May 6, the Supreme Court approved a decision that allows the Department of Defense to discharge service members diagnosed with or showing signs of gender dysphoria. This move reverses earlier policies that supported open service by transgender personnel.

Under Executive Order 14183, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” the policy directs the Department of Defense to ban individuals who identify with a gender different from their biological sex. The administration claims these individuals fail to meet military standards, citing concerns about unit cohesion and overall effectiveness.

“A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member,” the Executive Order states. “For the sake of our Nation and the patriotic Americans who volunteer to serve it, military service must be reserved for those mentally and physically fit for duty.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to remove all transgender service members by June 6. Those diagnosed with or showing signs of gender dysphoria must voluntarily separate from active duty or reserve forces by July 7 — or face involuntary separation starting immediately after.

Transgender service members are being forced out.

Transgender service members are now dealing with the reality of this decision. Commander Emily Shilling, a decorated Navy officer, expressed her dismay. “I’m being kicked out. I will follow what I’m being told,” she told Politico. “But it’s also my duty to challenge anything that I feel is an unlawful order. And the only way for me to do that is to sue, because I can’t go storm off. I have to use the legal system, which is why it’s there.”

Advocacy groups like GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights are challenging the ban. They argue that it violates constitutional rights. Jennifer Levi, Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights at GLAD Law, condemned the policy, calling it “devastating” to the military and those who serve.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to allow the military ban to go into effect is devastating for the thousands of qualified transgender service members who have met the standards and are serving honorably, putting their lives on the line for their country every single day,” said GLAD Law Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights Jennifer Levi per TIME.

Meanwhile, legal battles are heating up. In “United States v. Shilling,” the Supreme Court ruled to let the ban take effect while legal challenges play out. Other lawsuits, like “Ireland v. Hegseth,” claim the policy violates equal protection rights.

Should someone’s gender identity impact their ability to serve in the armed forces? Comment below!

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