Supreme Court Backs Transgender Military Ban

On Tuesday, The Supreme court voted on Trump’s infamous transgender military ban. The vote resulted in 5/4, favouring Trump. Although the vote is not mandated, it opens up the opportunity for the military to enforce the ban. In other words, the military now has free reign to exclude trans people from their ranks. This comes as a huge blow for the LGBTQ+ community, but it is not a surprise. 

Despite the trans population of the military being a mere 15,000 of the overall 801,200 population, the reason for this ban (other than the blindingly obvious prejudice), according to some, is that trans people are a burden on the military. This concept is founded on pretty much no research. Facts and figures can not support the idea that trans people are burdensome. It is simply cost-effective to give people the medical care they need when they need it rather than letting the problems snowball.  However, according to Trump, not giving people access to the medical care they deserve is a smart idea. 

Most people’s feelings around militaries are immensely complicated due to the inherently horrific nature of war. Especially when we factor in that the education system only has a budget of $68 billion. That’s less than 10% of the military’s $686 billion budget. However, this is not just about war and the ethics behind it. It is about trans people being banned from a bastion of U.S. society. A country’s military is a point of judgement, and in the U.S., the military seems to pride itself on allowing any U.S. citizen to fight and/or die for their country.

Who’s to Blame and Why?

It is easy to see Trump as the sole enemy since he is the face of it all. However, if you look behind the comb-over and the fake tan, you will see most of the government propped up with his supporters. This emotional, knee-jerk reaction to a long-held anti-trans prejudice is simply unacceptable. Transgender Americans exist in every part of society, and banning them from the military will not stop them from existing in the military. They simply would not be able to live as they choose: happy, free and out. 

This ban is utterly disgraceful. A decision that is steeped in discrimination from the roots upwards. It is an overly conservative government flexing its muscles in an inexcusable manner. We all took a sigh of relief when a judge blocked the ban back in 2017, but somehow, Trump and his cronies found a way to worm it back in.

Hopefully, it will not be long before this ban (and entire administration) is hurled into the trash heap of history where it belongs. Until then, we will keep raising our voices. 

Written by Rochelle Asquith

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