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On Tuesday, the Supreme Court cleared the way for President Donald Trump to purge transgender people from the military in a brief, unsigned order that did not bother to provide any reasoning. All three liberals dissented. With this decision, the Trump administration may now enforce a sweeping ban on military service, prohibiting the enlistment of transgender people and expelling those who are currently serving. The forced removal of these service members—who joined the military on the good-faith belief that the U.S. government welcomed their service—will mark one of the most sweeping acts of government-imposed bigotry in modern times. And the Supreme Court’s shameful, unexplained approval of the policy is certain to weaken the armed forces by pushing out thousands serving their nation honorably.

Tuesday’s order was not a surprise: Trump also attempted to outlaw transgender military service in his first term, and SCOTUS greenlit the prohibition by a 5–4 vote. The first-term ban, however, was a very different beast: It exempted current troops, allowing them to continue their service while receiving gender-affirming care. The policy as enacted therefore functioned as a ban on the enlistment of transgender people rather than an assault on those already serving. President Joe Biden promptly repealed the entire ban, but Trump reimposed and expanded it when he returned to office. This time, the prohibition covers all service members, not just potential enlistees. It cuts off their access to gender-affirming care. And it orders them to voluntarily separate from the military or face “involuntary separation”—a stain on their record that could deny them veterans’ benefits.

Trump’s first-term policy was cloaked in........

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