(ZENIT News / Washington, 05.14.2025).- In a ruling that reignites fierce national debate over the rights of transgender Americans and the scope of presidential military authority, the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday May 6 gave the green light for the Trump administration to enforce its sweeping ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.
The high court’s decision, delivered without oral arguments and divided along ideological lines, lifted a nationwide injunction that had previously blocked the policy. The three liberal justices—Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson—dissented. The decision does not resolve the underlying legal challenges but allows the ban to move forward while those cases proceed through lower courts.
Within hours of the ruling, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a blunt declaration on social media: “No more trans in the Department of Defense.” He followed with a video posted earlier that same day in which he referred to transgender service members in derogatory terms, saying, “No more men in dresses. No more nonsense.”
While the Department of Defense has officially reported around 4,000 transgender individuals currently serving in the armed forces, advocacy groups argue the real number could be significantly higher. These service members, many of whom have held combat positions or led troops in active operations, now face an uncertain future.
Among those directly affected is Navy Commander Emily Shilling, who is leading a group of seven transgender plaintiffs challenging the policy. In a defiant and emotional statement following the court’s decision, Shilling underscored the humanity and dedication of those impacted.
“We are not hypotheticals. We are not political abstractions. We are real people doing real work in defense of a nation we still believe in, even when it struggles to believe in us,” Shilling said. “This ruling may shake many, but I urge everyone to stand firm. You are not alone.”
Legal organizations representing the plaintiffs, including Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, called the Supreme Court’s move a “devastating blow” to the rights and dignity of transgender Americans in uniform.
The origins of the policy trace back to a February directive under Trump’s renewed presidency. The updated policy goes beyond earlier attempts to restrict transgender military service by broadly disqualifying individuals with gender dysphoria or those who have undergone medical transition. Government attorneys defended the measure by invoking military readiness, citing a Pentagon report from Trump’s first term that claimed gender dysphoria undermines the “effectiveness and lethality” of the force.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer, representing the administration, urged the justices to grant “substantial deference” to the Pentagon’s judgment on military policy. He argued that courts are ill-equipped to second-guess decisions involving national defense.
However, multiple federal courts have challenged the policy’s constitutionality. Plaintiffs argue it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and ignores the demonstrated capability of transgender individuals to serve effectively. In one notable ruling, a judge in Washington State rejected the administration’s argument, saying the issue was “not particularly close.” That ruling prompted a failed appeal to the Ninth Circuit, ultimately leading the administration to seek relief from the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, a separate injunction issued in Washington, D.C., was temporarily paused by a federal appeals court still weighing the case’s merits. The legal saga is far from over, but the Supreme Court’s decision now gives the executive branch significant latitude to reshape military policy—at least for the time being.
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