Trump Administration Faces Third Lawsuit Over Transgender Military Ban

Two transgender Air Force sergeants challenge executive orders they say violate constitutional rights and threaten military readiness.

Master Sergeant Logan Ireland and Staff Sergeant Nicholas Bear Bade filed a lawsuit on March 18, 2025, seeking to block the Trump administration's transgender military ban before its March 26 implementation deadline.
The lawsuit argues the ban violates the Fifth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause by discriminating against transgender individuals and forcing them to serve as their sex assigned at birth.
The Trump administration's policy defines gender as strictly binary and claims individuals with gender dysphoria are unfit for military service, despite plaintiffs' longstanding, decorated careers.
This is the third legal challenge to the ban, following lawsuits filed in January and February, with a preliminary injunction ruling in a related case expected by March 25.
Critics argue the ban undermines military readiness and retention by removing trained personnel, contradicting the military's recruitment goals during ongoing staffing challenges.