Several transgender individuals currently serving in the military, along with advocacy organizations, have initiated legal action against President Trump's recent limitations on transgender military personnel. The lawsuit, filed jointly by GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), contends that the executive order infringes upon constitutional guarantees of equality. The plaintiffs, six active-duty transgender service members, assert they stand to lose healthcare and retirement benefits due to the order.
One plaintiff, Army 2nd Lt. Nicolas Talbott, emphasized the importance of ability over differences when serving in the military. The executive order, signed by President Trump, mandates Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to revise medical standards, prioritizing combat readiness, and discontinue the use of pronouns not aligning with biological sex within the Department of Defense.
The order asserts that expressing a gender identity differing from biological sex does not meet military criteria and restricts access to sleeping, changing, and bathing facilities based on biological sex. This directive effectively reverses a previous order by President Biden, which the White House claims compromised military readiness by accommodating gender identity. The ban on transgender service members had been lifted in 2014 under President Obama.
Navy Ensign Dan Danridge, another plaintiff, highlighted the irrelevance of being transgender to their ability to perform their duties. Army Sgt. 1st Class Kate Cole expressed concern about the loss of experienced personnel resulting from the removal of qualified transgender soldiers. Trump's latest order follows a previous directive revoking a Biden-era policy allowing transgender individuals to serve.
During his campaign, Trump pledged to reinstate the ban on transgender troops imposed during his first term. Estimates suggest there are between 9,000 and 14,000 transgender service members. Congressional Research Service data indicates the Department of Defense spent approximately $15 million on transgender treatments for active-duty service members between 2016 and 2021.
This action is part of a broader effort by Trump and Hegseth to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices within the military. A 2025 defense policy bill amendment prohibits irreversible transgender care for minors within the military healthcare system.
