WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBTQ rights from a conservative court.
While the move outlawed workplace discrimination against the LGBT community, the U.S. military still has a ban in place on transgender people, initiated by President Trump in 2019.
“[The U.S. military is] the only employer in America that can still discriminate based on gender identity,” said Peter Perkowski, legal director for Modern Military, an LGBTQ advocacy group challenging the trump administration’s ban on transgender service members.
Modern Military and other LGBTQ advocates said they are hopeful the courts will use the same reasoning when deciding whether or not those in the transgender community should be allowed to serve.
Proponents of Trump’s ban argue the policy does not discriminate.
“It is clearly based on specific mental health and psychical health risks which are associated with the diagnosable mental illness known as gender dysphoria,” said Peter Sprigg with the Family Research Council.
Modern Military’s case challenging the transgender ban is scheduled to be heard in a federal district court later this year.