A week after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th U.S. President, he signed an executive order titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” banning transgender individuals from enlisting and removing current transgender service members.
Two LGBTQ legal groups filed a lawsuit, and in March 2025, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes blocked the order, citing it violated the Equal Protection Clause and stigmatized transgender people.
However, on May 6, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing the ban to take effect despite ongoing legal challenges. The policy claims that gender identity inconsistent with sex undermines military discipline and readiness.
Human rights groups, including Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign, condemned the decision, calling the ban discriminatory and unrelated to military effectiveness. They maintain it will eventually be overturned.