In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court has upheld President Trump’s ban of transgenders in the military.
BREAKING: U.S. Supreme Court rules the Trump administration can begin barring most transgender people from serving in the armed forces https://t.co/wJrCxpdNks pic.twitter.com/JoqedAFPOo
— Bloomberg (@business) January 22, 2019
Here’s more on the story from Bloomberg:
The U.S. Supreme Court cleared President Donald Trump’s administration to start barring most transgender people from serving in the armed forces.
The justices, voting 5-4, put on hold lower court decisions that had blocked the administration’s planned ban from taking effect. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissented.
The court stopped short of agreeing to hear arguments on an expedited basis, as the administration sought. But by letting the ban take effect, the court gave the administration a major victory and hinted the justices ultimately will uphold the restrictions.
Transgender troops have been serving openly since June 2016, when President Barack Obama’s administration began lifting a longstanding prohibition. Opponents of the ban say reinstating it would violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
“This case is about whether men and women who want to serve in the United States Armed Forces to protect their country and who are able and otherwise qualified to do so should be barred from military service because they are transgender,” according to court filings on behalf of current and prospective military members.
BREAKING: SCOTUS' five conservative justices will allow Trump's ban on trans military members to take effect while legal battles continue in the courts. This attack on trans people honorably serving and on trans people who want to serve is despicable. https://t.co/14O4M7Om90
— Victory Fund (@VictoryFund) January 22, 2019
This is shameful: SCOTUS lifted the injunction against Trump's discriminatory and disgraceful trans military ban. https://t.co/7JHk84AXnU
— MoveOn (@MoveOn) January 22, 2019
If you are angry about SCOTUS's attack on trans people, one concrete thing you can do is turn your attention to South Dakota where we are fighting an anti-trans bill targeting trans kids. #StopSB49 #ProtectTransTroops https://t.co/DZeS3UPKZi
— Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio) January 22, 2019
Today’s SCOTUS decision permitting the Trump administration to continue its ban on trans servicemembers while the litigation is pending is a travesty of justice and a blow to the heart of all notions of equality and fairness.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 22, 2019