Since being elected, President Trump has been pushing a ban of transgender persons from joining the U.S. military. After lower courts placed two injunctions that blocked the policy, the Supreme Court voted 5-4, allowing the Pentagon to refuse transgender persons trying to enlist and send the people who are already serving home.

This reversed a decision by the Obama administration in 2016 that allowed for transgender persons to openly serve in the military.  Since January of 2018, transgender persons have been able to join the U.S. military.

According to NPR, “…researchers at the Rand Corp. think tank estimated there were as many as 7,000 active-duty transgender service members, with up to 4,000 more in the reserves.”

This ban means that those already serving and those who want to enlist have the potential to be disqualified from joining the U.S. military. Although frowned upon from an equal rights activist view point, this was a win in the Trump supporter category. It is his first real legal win since becoming the president in 2016.

Because the Supreme Court is now heavily conservative after Kavanaugh was voted in, the ban was passed in the close 5 to 4 vote.

Personally, I cannot understand the want to prevent someone from serving in the U.S. military. I am not one who would want to serve in the military, nor be apart of it. With willing people wanting to put their lives on the line for their country, their gender identity should not have to be taken into consideration.

Transgender persons deserve the same rights that I have and should be able to join the U.S. military. Apart from my opinion, I simply do not understand any argument against allowing transgender persons in the military.

If a human being wants to serve their country, why does Trump get to decide whether they are qualified because of their gender identity?

With that, in 1940 Congress passed the draft, requiring all men over the age of 18 to 64 to register with selective service for the U.S. military. The fact that we did not have enough willing people to serve the country at any point, should be enough to never turn a willing person away from serving.

For now, as disappointing as it is, the military and Pentagon must go through with this decision from the Supreme Court, disqualifying all transgender persons from serving and enlisting in the military.