Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Trans Military Ban

A federal judge has struck down an attempt to exclude transgender Americans from military service, dealing a major blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to ban transgender troops.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction in Talbott v. Trump, preventing the ban from taking effect. Her ruling condemned the administration’s policy as unconstitutional, stating it was “soaked in animus and dripping with pretext.” Reyes found that the government had failed to provide any legitimate justification for barring transgender people from serving, concluding that the policy violated the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.

The case was brought by GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) on behalf of 20 transgender individuals, including those currently serving and those preparing to enlist. The ruling forces the Department of Defense to maintain existing policies that allow transgender service members to serve openly.

Related: This Lesbian Judge Has Zero Time For Trump’s Anti-Trans BS

Reyes’s 79-page opinion dismantled the administration’s rationale for the ban, calling it a “solution in search of a problem.” She noted that the government relied on misleading studies and outright falsehoods to justify the policy.

“The Military Ban, like past efforts to exclude marginalized groups, rests on irrational prejudice,” Reyes—a Biden appointee and the first LGBTQ+ judge on the D.C. District Court—wrote, drawing parallels between Trump’s ban and historical military policies that excluded people of color, women, and openly gay service members.

The Trump administration justified the ban by citing concerns about military readiness, unit cohesion, and medical costs. However, Reyes found these claims unconvincing.

She pointed out the hypocrisy in arguing that gender-affirming care was too expensive while the military spends nearly eight times more on Viagra than it does on transgender healthcare.

“For example, Viagra cost the DoD $41 million in 2023 alone—nearly eight times what the DoD spends on transgender medical care each year,” Reyes noted in her ruling.

Reyes also took issue with the administration’s claim that medical treatments related to gender transition would make deployment difficult. She cited numerous cases of non-transgender service members who require ongoing medical treatments, such as those with diabetes, who remain fully capable of serving.

In her ruling, Reyes acknowledged that this ban was part of a larger pattern of anti-trans policies from the Trump administration.

“The flurry of government actions directed at transgender persons—denying them everything from necessary medical care to access to homeless shelters—must give pause to any court asked to consider whether one such order under review furthers a legitimate government interest free of animus,” she wrote.

Her ruling emphasized that shifting policies between administrations have created unnecessary turmoil for transgender service members, many of whom have built lifelong military careers. “Being kicked around like a football by whatever team has possession is the opposite of meaningful political power,” Reyes stated.

Related: Judge’s Fact-Based Takedown Of Trans Military Ban Is Too Much For DOJ Lawyer To Handle

The Trump administration is expected to appeal the ruling, but for now, the injunction prevents the ban from taking effect. Judge Reyes ordered the Pentagon to notify all military branches of her decision by March 21 and file confirmation with the court by 6 p.m. that day.

Unless a higher court intervenes, the order will officially take effect at 10:01 a.m. on March 21.

Reyes closed her opinion with a powerful nod to the values of military service:

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. The Court extends its appreciation to every current service member and veteran. Thank you.”