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Trump Seeks Supreme Court’s Approval to Enforce Transgender Military Ban
Washington — On Thursday, President Trump petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to permit his administration’s controversial policy barring transgender individuals from military service to come into effect while ongoing legal disputes challenge this ban.
This request follows a ruling from a federal appeals court that upheld a lower district court’s order, which blocks the enforcement of the ban across the nation. The Trump administration has criticized these sweeping orders, labeled as nationwide or universal injunctions, arguing that they overstep the courts’ authority by creating nationwide policy.
During his initial presidency, Trump implemented a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. However, this was later reversed by former President Joe Biden. Following his return to office in January, Trump reissued a directive asserting that U.S. military policy should prioritize “high standards for troop readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity,” while suggesting that accommodating individuals with gender dysphoria was incompatible with these goals.
In February, the Department of Defense instituted a policy that broadly bars individuals with gender dysphoria or those who have undergone medical treatments related to their condition from military service.
The Supreme Court case emerged from a lawsuit initiated by seven transgender service members, a transgender applicant, and an advocacy organization in Washington state. They contend that the ban contravenes the Constitution’s equal protection clause and infringes on First Amendment rights.
In March, a federal district court ruled to block the enforcement of Trump’s executive order, mandating that the previous administration’s policy remain in effect. Subsequently, the Justice Department appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, seeking to lift this injunction and reinstate the ban, but the request was denied.
The U.S. Supreme Court
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