The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration’s ban on transgender service members to go into effect Tuesday.
The court did not rule on the case but will allow the ban to go into effect while the case is reviewed by lower courts, CNN reported.
The four liberal justices objected to allowing the ban to go into effect and voted to keep a stay on the ban in place until the case is sorted by the lower courts.
Trump announced in July 2017 that the Defense Department would ban individuals “who have been diagnosed with a condition known as gender dysphoria from serving with limited exceptions,” CNN reported, adding that “it also specifies that individuals without the condition can serve, but only if they do so according to the sex they were assigned at birth.”
"The government had asked the Justices to take the issue up even before the appeals courts could rule,” CNN Supreme Court analyst Steve Vladeck said. “Even though the Court denied that request, the fact that the Court is allowing the policy to go into effect suggests not only that it will eventually take the case on the merits, but also that five of the Justices believe the government is likely to prevail if and when that happens.”
Military insists it isn’t a transgender “ban”:
"As always, we treat all transgender persons with respect and dignity. DoD's proposed policy is NOT a ban on service by transgender persons. It is critical that DoD be permitted to implement personnel policies that it determines are necessary to ensure the most lethal and combat effective fighting force in the world. DoD's proposed policy is based on professional military judgment and will ensure that the U.S. Armed Forces remain the most lethal and combat effective fighting force in the world," Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Carla Gleason told CNN.
Trump confirmed it was a transgender “ban”:
Despite the Pentagon’s statement, the president did say it would be a transgender ban.
"After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," Trump tweeted. "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail."
