US Supreme Court Upholds Trump’s Ban on Transgender Troops

The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the implementation of the ban imposed by President Donald Trump on transgender individuals serving in the military. In a decision that could lead to the discharge of thousands of active-duty personnel, the Supreme Court ultimately accepted the request from the Department of Justice to lift the injunction placed by federal judge Benjamin Settle, which had prevented the U.S. military from enforcing Trump’s ban. Judge Settle had stated that Trump’s order likely violated the equal protection clause under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It should be noted that the American president signed the executive order banning transgender individuals from military service in January upon his return to the U.S. At that time, Trump described gender identity claims as a ‘lie’ and argued that these individuals cannot meet the required standards for service in the U.S. Armed Forces. The Pentagon subsequently issued guidelines for implementing Trump’s directive, excluding from military service both current soldiers and applicants with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria or those who have undergone gender transition procedures. The order allowed for case-by-case exemptions if their service directly supported ‘combat capabilities.’