President Donald Trump signed many executive orders since returning for his second term in January. One directive revived a policy from his first term in 2017, banning transgender people from openly serving in the U.S. Military.
This time, the court is holding up Trump’s attempt to reimplement the expanded order.
On March 18, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes of Washington, D.C. blocked the executive order. Reyes said it violates the equal protection clause and discriminates against transgender people and their constitutional rights.
A week later, another federal judge blocked Trump from implementing the executive order, giving the administration its second nationwide injunction.
The Trump administration filed an appeal, but was rejected on March 31 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
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The inclusion of transgender individuals in the U.S. armed forces has been inconsistent over the last ten years.
In 2016, former President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Defense Ash Carter lifted a ban on transgender military service. The action allowed service members to openly identify as transgender and transition while serving.
A year later, Trump announced his commitment to prohibit transgender people from service in a series of posts on X.
“Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s 2017 executive order not only banned transgender people from openly serving, it required anyone enlisting to serve as their assigned sex at birth.
However, transgender people serving prior to the executive order could continue. The military also accepted their gender identities and provided access to transition-related medical care.
In 2021, Trump’s order was repealed by former President Joe Biden, reinstating the opportunity for transgender people to openly serve in the armed forces.
Upon returning to the White House this year, Trump sought to immediately undo Biden’s reversal.
The current executive order states “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.”
The President went on to state the importance of the military remaining selective in its recruitments. He argued transgender people are incapable of performing at such a level due to their gender identity.
“For the sake of our Nation and the patriotic Americans who volunteer to serve it, military service must be reserved for those mentally and physically fit for duty,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s 2025 order also aims to identify and remove transgender personnel from their current service. Removed service members would be “honorably discharged” if they met requirements.
In order to receive an honorable discharge, they must have maintained good conduct and discipline and successfully fulfilled performance duties. An honorable discharge signifies that a service member upheld the military’s standard during their time of service.
This executive order joins a list of others signed by Trump targeting the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender individuals.
The University’s Chez Veterans Center was asked to comment on the pending ban and its potential effects on student services, but declined to participate in an interview.
“The Chez Veterans Center remains a resource of support for our students, including those who may be impacted by (Trump’s executive order),” said Ingrid Wheeler, the center’s assistant director of behavioral health services, in an email to The Daily Illini. “We are committed to providing assistance and a safe space for Veterans, military dependents, and military-connected individuals.”
All of the Reserve Officer Training Corps programs at the University were asked how this executive order could affect recruitment and retention. The Army and Naval programs were contacted but haven’t given a response yet. Meanwhile, the Air Force program declined to comment.
Lieutenant Colonel Jason Scalzitti, commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 190 and professor of aerospace studies, responded in an email. He stated that they must address those matters through their chain of command.
“In our specific roles and duties, we are not free to speak about specific policy matters like this with the press,” Scalzitti said. “That is not to say we do not care about the impact of policy changes on those UIUC students in our program.”
Assistant Director of the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center Chris Schlarb said the goal of this executive order is to “dehumanize” trans and nonbinary people. He believes it makes them “invisible and nonexistent” in society.
Schlarb also discussed the impact of excluding transgender people from military service.
“I still believe the military should be selective, but I don’t think they should be discriminatory and exclude folks based solely on their identity,” Schlarb said.
Schlarb expressed concern about the impact of excluding transgender people from military service.
“I think the administration’s politics will negatively affect military enlistments,” Schlarb said.
The current status of the executive order remains pending due to ongoing legal battles. It is unclear if the Trump administration will seek a decision from the Supreme Court.
