A U.S. appeals court has turned down a request from the Trump administration to enforce a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. This decision comes after U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle issued a preliminary injunction that halted the military’s policy of identifying and discharging transgender service members.
The Trump administration appealed Judge Settle’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, asking the court to allow the ban to be enforced while the appeal was considered. However, the three judges on the panel—Wallace Tashima, John Owens, and Roopali Desai—rejected this request. Tashima was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, Owens by Barack Obama, and Desai by Joe Biden.
The case was brought to court by Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, representing seven active-duty transgender service members. Their legal action challenged the Trump administration’s efforts to implement the ban.
In a related development, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, also appointed by Biden, blocked a Pentagon policy that would have barred transgender troops from serving without a waiver. This ruling further complicates the military’s stance on transgender service members.
In January, Trump issued an executive order titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.” This order stated that a person’s gender identity must align with their biological sex to meet military standards. It argued that adopting a gender identity inconsistent with one’s sex contradicts the values of honor and discipline expected from service members.
Additionally, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in February that all new recruits with a history of gender dysphoria would be paused, along with any medical procedures related to gender transition for service members.
This ongoing legal battle highlights the contentious issues surrounding transgender rights in the military and reflects broader societal debates on gender identity and inclusion.