LGBTQ advocacy groups file lawsuit against Trump’s executive order, arguing it harms national security and targets transgender troops’ rights

Transgender service members, supported by LGBTQ advocacy groups, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to challenge a White House executive order banning transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. The order, signed late Monday by former President Trump, rescinds Biden-era policies that allowed transgender troops to serve openly according to their gender identity.

Trump’s executive order asserts that transgender status is incompatible with the “high standards” required of military service members. It also directs the Pentagon to revise policies regarding medical standards for transgender individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a precursor to transitioning.

Transgender Space Force Colonel Bree Fram, who transitioned while in service, criticized the ban, saying it would undermine national security by excluding highly capable service members. “Transgender troops are meeting or exceeding the military’s high standards,” Fram emphasized, highlighting the contributions of transgender personnel across various branches and roles.

Legal experts, including Sasha Buchert from Lambda Legal, have condemned the order as cruel and harmful. Buchert, who represented plaintiffs in 2017 to temporarily block a similar ban, warned that the executive order would force transgender service members to live in constant fear of being discharged. She argued that transgender troops, who have served openly for the past decade, should not face discrimination.

The lawsuit contends that the ban violates constitutional rights and disrupts the long-standing progress made in integrating transgender individuals into the military. Supporters of transgender service members point to studies showing that only a small number of active-duty troops sought transition-related care, which rarely interfered with their ability to deploy.

While the Pentagon has committed to implementing the executive order, transgender service members like Colonel Fram remain focused on their duties, reaffirming their commitment to the Constitution and their service.