SCOTUS Upholds Transgender Military Ban
On January 22, 2019, the Supreme Court allowed the legal challenges to Trump’s transgender military ban to continue in the federal courts. However, the Court’s decision to lift the injunctions that have been blocking the ban means that transgender service members will face discharges and transgender recruits will be denied enlistment opportunities while these cases proceed and until the Court has another opportunity to consider the case on the merits.
Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director of Equality Federation said, “This decision is a slap in the face of the brave service members currently serving our country and those who want to serve. There should be no place for discrimination in our military or any part of our nation, and all Americans should be able to provide for themselves and their families without fear of discrimination..”
When Trump first announced his intention to institute a ban on transgender service members in 2017, over 200 LGBTQ leaders who were gathered for Equality Federation’s Leadership Conference issued a statement that featured the voices of transgender veterans.
