A second group of transgender service members sued President Trump on Thursday over his executive order barring transgender people from serving openly in the military.
Trump signed the order last week, fulfilling a campaign promise as part of a broader crackdown on what his administration has called “gender insanity” in the federal government.
“Banning ready, willing, and able service members does not further the objectives of the United States Armed Forces,” the lawsuit reads.
“The military needs more recruits to maintain readiness and fill its ranks. But the 2025 Military Ban turns them away and forces current decorated service members to hide their identity, quit, or be separated from the military,” it continues.
LGBTQ rights organizations Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign brought the lawsuit on behalf of seven openly transgender service members, another transgender person who wishes to enlist and advocacy group Gender Justice League.
Filed in Seattle’s federal district court, the lawsuit claims Trump’s ban violates the Constitution’s free speech, equal protection and due process protections.
“The assertion that transgender service members like myself are inherently untrustworthy or lack honor is an insult to all who have dedicated their lives to defending this country,” Commander Emily Shilling, the lead plaintiff, said in a statement. “My nearly two decades of service as a naval aviator and test pilot, routinely selected for the most challenging leadership roles, with 60 combat missions and over 1,700 flight hours in high-performance jets, speaks for itself.”
The Hill has reached out to the Defense Department for comment.
The case adds to an existing lawsuit challenging Trump’s ban filed on behalf of a group of service members by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders.
Together, the two cases resume a legal battle that played out during Trump’s first term, when he also signed a ban on transgender troops openly serving in the military.
Courts unanimously blocked it before the Supreme Court allowed it to take effect in 2019 while lower courts heard additional arguments. Former President Biden reversed the policy in a 2021 executive order.
In his second term, Trump has issued a flurry of gender-related orders. On Wednesday, he signed an executive order banning transgender girls from competing in women’s sports.
Many of the actions have come under legal scrutiny.
A judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked Trump’s mandate that transgender women in federal prison be transferred to men’s facilities. Groups are also challenging Trump’s order meant to broadly restrict access to gender-affirming care for transgender children and teenagers up to 19 years old.
