Supreme Court allows Trump to implement transgender military ban

The blanket ban, expanding on a similar policy Trump proposed in his first term, has been blocked nationwide by lower courts.

Stop Transgender Military Ban Rally, Washington, DC, 7/29/2017
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed President Donald Trump to implement his ban on transgender people serving in the military.

The justices granted an emergency request from the Trump administration to lift a nationwide injunction blocking the policy while litigation continues.

The court’s brief order noted that the three liberal justices dissented.

The decision is a loss for the seven individual transgender service members, led by lead plaintiff Emily Shilling, a Navy commander, who had sued to block it.

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a devastating blow to transgender service members who have demonstrated their capabilities and commitment to our nation’s defense,” Lambda Legal and Human Rights Campaign Foundation, two groups representing the plaintiffs, said in a joint statement.

The policy “has nothing to do with military readiness and everything to do with prejudice,” the groups added.

In a separate case, a judge in Washington, D.C., also blocked…

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