US Court Bans Pentagon from Dismissing Transgender Service Members
On June 1, a US federal appeals court ruled that the administration of President Donald Trump can for now prohibit transgender people from joining the military, but does not have the right to dismiss current transgender service members until the court process is complete, Reuters reports.
The panel of judges of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit made the decision by a majority vote: 2 to 1. The court noted that the 2025 policy was motivated by a "simple desire to harm a politically unpopular group." At the same time, the court recognized that the Pentagon has broad authority to set criteria for military service entry, so it may continue to prohibit new transgender candidates from joining the military until the lawsuit filed by current and potential service members is resolved.
"It seems to us that ending a military career is a much greater harm than delaying its start," wrote Judge Robert Wilkins.
Judge Justin Walker expressed a separate opinion. In his view, courts "have neither the competence nor the authority to decide whether the military can exclude plaintiffs from its ranks."
Jennifer Levi, a representative of the human rights organization GLAD Law who represents the plaintiffs, welcomed the court's decision.
"This decisive ruling confirms that the Trump administration has no legal grounds to dismiss transgender service members who have met all strict requirements and repeatedly proven their fitness and dedication to service," she said.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth indicated that the government will appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court.
"See you at the Supreme Court," Hegseth wrote on the social media platform X.
The appeals court ruling partially upheld a decision by a federal judge in Washington made in 2025. At that time, the court blocked the full implementation of this policy until the court proceedings were completed. The judge concluded that such a policy constitutes discrimination based on sex and likely violates the US Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law.
Recall that in January 2025, Donald Trump signed an order stating that accepting transgender identity "contradicts a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined way of life." Shortly thereafter, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth introduced corresponding restrictions, which became the basis for lawsuits.
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