Lesbian judge tears apart Trump’s ‘ridiculous’ anti-trans orders and leaves lawyer red-faced

Federal judge Ana Reyes has laid into Donald Trump’s “ridiculous” anti-trans executive orders, including attempting to ban trans service people from the US military and declaring there are “only two sexes”.

A hearing was held in Washington DC on Tuesday (18 February) to challenge Trump’s executive order which led to the Department of Defense banning trans military officers, with District Judge Ana Reyes describing the president’s anti-trans language as “biologically inaccurate” and “frankly ridiculous.”

Judge Ana Reyes, the first out LGBTQ+ person to serve as a district court judge in Washington DC, questioned statements in the executive order suggesting trans service members are “dishonourable” and lack “warrior ethos.”

“Would you agree that if the military is negatively impacted [from the use of pronouns], we all have a lot bigger problems than pronoun use?” Reyes asked, adding that if the military is damaged by pronoun usage, then “our military is incompetent”.

“I can’t agree with that,” Justice Department attorney Jason Lynch replied.

Judge Reyes continued: “Do you think usage of that preferred pronoun by that small group of people is going to impact our ability in combat situations? Explain to me how pronoun usage impacts [military readiness]. Because it doesn’t. Because any common sense rational human being would understand it doesn’t.”

The judge described the order as “frankly ridiculous”, claiming she would hear testimony from a US military officer to testify in defence of the ban on pronouns if they could find one.

“If you can get me an officer of the United States military to get on the stand and say that because of pronoun usage we are less prepared, I will be the first to buy you a box of cigars,” she said.

Donald Trump’s executive order declared the US military had been “afflicted with radical gender ideology”. It claimed trans people are medically unfit to serve, and trans people “cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service”.

Alongside this, executive orders eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion programmes in the military and ordered military personnel who were discharged for refusing to get Covid-19 vaccines to be reinstated.

After Trump’s order was passed, it was implemented by defence secretary Pete Hegseth, who directed all branches of the military to pause the admission of new trans service members, and to pause all gender-affirming healthcare for active troops. The ban was implemented despite a majority of Americans supporting trans service members in the military.

The order states the “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”, adding that being trans is “not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member”.

Judge Ana Reyes tore apart the language in the executive order, asking whether it was “demeaning” to trans people.

“This is the policy of the president of the United States that is impacting thousands of people,” she said. “Calling an entire group of people lying, dishonest people with no integrity… how is that anything other than showing animus?”

“I’m telling you right now that there are people who are neither male nor female”

Justice Department attorney Jason Lynch was also left squirming in an awkward exchange where he was forced to admit that he doesn’t understand that is simply not biologically correct to say there are only two sexes.

Judge Reyes slammed the language used in Trump’s executive order which states the US will only recognise “two genders”, claiming the assertion there is only “two genders” is “not biologically correct”.

Judge Reyes asked Jason Lynch: “You understand that not everyone has an XX or an XY chromosomes, right

“This executive order is premised on an assertion that’s not biologically correct,” she explained. “There are anywhere near 30 intersex examples. Anyone who doesn’t have an XX or an XY chromosome, right?”

Lynch replied: “Honestly, no I don’t.”

Trump's lawyers are absolutely flailing in the courts right now pic.twitter.com/3wbofVxmHn

— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) February 19, 2025

Judge Reyes is currently weighing whether to issue a preliminary injunction effectively blocking the order.

Donald Trump’s attempted ban on trans people in the military has also been criticised by members of the military themselves, with a trans veteran explaining that she is “proof that we are qualified to serve”.

Emily Shilling, who has been in the US military for more than 19 years, explained: “I did two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, 60 combat missions… Later, I went on to be a test pilot, then the meritorious promotions. I have been at the pinnacle of naval aviation. I am proof that we are qualified to serve.”

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