Trans platoon leader says a ‘huge burden’ has been lifted from him after judge blocks military ban

Trans people serving in the US armed forces have expressed relief after Donald Trump’s military ban was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

Major Erica Vandal and second lieutenant Nicolas Talbott praised the preliminary injunction on Trump’s executive order, calling it a “tremendous step forward”.

Within days of returning to the White House, Trump signed an executive order in which he claimed that transgender service members’ identities conflicted “with a soldier’s commitment to an honourable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle”.

Secretary of defence Pete Hegseth followed this up with a policy disqualifying people with gender dysphoria from the military.

However, on Tuesday (18 March), district court judge Ana Reyes ruled that the ban probably violated several federal protection laws. “Its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatised transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact,” she said.

The injunction will temporarily halt the enforcement of the ban, which was set to take effect on Friday (21 March), and will ensure the legislative protection of transgender officers and recruits pending a final review.

Major Vandal, a plaintiff in the case, who has been in the army for 14 years, responded to the news by saying: “[I feel] gifted knowing that I’ll be able to continue to provide for my wife and two children while continuing my career and life-long passion as a field artillery officer.”

Despite being well aware that the fight was far from over, she added: “For now, I’ll celebrate the privilege to continue to lace up my boots, return to my unit and lead.”

Lawyers praise judge’s ruling

Human rights and LGBTQ+ legal groups GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), who brought the legal challenge, described the judge’s ruling as a “clear-eyed assessment” of the government’s lack of justification for the move.

GLAD Law’s senior director of transgender and queer rights, Jennifer Levi, said the court’s “unambiguous factual findings” laid bare the lack of evidence behind the ban and how it “undermines our courageous service members who have committed themselves to defending our nation”.

The exact number of transgender troops isn’t known but the government estimates that between 1,320 and 6,630 are currently serving. The figure appears to come from a study published nine years ago.

Levi added that Reyes’ “strong language” helped reject the “baseless justifications, even beyond the raw hostility, against transgender people”.

NCLR legal director Shannon Minter thanked the court for acting quickly to “shield our troops from the harmful effects of this irrational ban”, adding: “It would have ended careers of dedicated transgender service members and created personnel gaps, leaving others to fill critical roles.

“The ban’s harmful impact and rushed implementation show that it was motivated by prejudice.”

Trans troops are ‘just as qualified’ as any other military member, platoon leader says

Twenty trans service members, in active service and in the process of enlisting, came together as plaintiffs for the legal challenge.

Army platoon leader Nicolas Talbott emphasised that all transgender service personnel were “just as qualified, competent and dedicated as any other military member”.

He went on to say: “This has been a huge burden lifted off me, lifted off my family. Military service is something I’ve spent the greater portion of my adult life working toward. [My family] has been trying to be as supportive as possible given what is at stake personally: not just my career but things like my health insurance.”

Major Vandal said that she had remained in her position during the legal challenge and planned to continue doing so, adding that she has received “nothing but support, acceptance and love” from her peers.

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