In a move that sparked widespread controversy, former US President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum in August 2017, effectively banning transgender individuals from serving in the US military. This decision reversed the policy implemented by the Obama administration in 2016, which allowed transgender individuals to serve openly.
The memorandum, titled “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security,” directed the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to implement a policy that prohibited transgender individuals from serving in the military, except in limited circumstances.
The ban was met with fierce opposition from LGBTQ+ rights groups, who argued that it was discriminatory and unconstitutional. Several lawsuits were filed challenging the ban, including Jane Doe v. Trump, Stone v. Trump, and Karnoski v. Trump.
In response to the lawsuits, several federal courts issued preliminary injunctions blocking the implementation of the ban. However, in January 2019, the US Supreme Court allowed the ban to take effect, pending further litigation.
The transgender military ban was eventually repealed by President Joe Biden in January 2021, who signed an executive order allowing transgender individuals to serve openly in the military once again.