Blog

The Supreme Court Let the Ban Stand. Our Fight Continues. 

Blog by Joshua Rovenger, Legal Director (he/him) 

This week, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Shilling, a case brought by our partners challenging the administration’s ban, that paves the way for Trump’s purge of military service members while cases against the ban continue.  

I struggle to find the right words in moments like this. I know that there’s nothing to say to make the court’s decision easier, especially for the thousands of transgender servicemembers and their loved ones. So, I’ll just speak from the heart.

There’s been so much vitriol and chaos coming from the Executive Branch, that I often find it hard to focus on anything else, including the threat from this Court. I’m surprised to be surprised though; this Supreme Court has repeatedly told us who they are. They have been hostile to progressive values and overturned decades of long-standing law at break-neck pace.  

And yet, with so much coming at us from the President, my mind minimized that threat and even expected more from the Court. Today was a gut punch of a reminder. It can feel exhausting to swallow bad decision after bad decision from the Justices.   

My head and heart are also with our clients and community. As you know, the decision will have immediate impacts on them. It’s an almost unfathomable reality to accept that the President can simply target and harm trans service members in this way. It’s cruel for the sake of cruelty.   

At the same time, I’m also trying to focus on the gratitude I have for the GLAD Law team and our clients. Our clients are deeply courageous and patriotic. They are the best of this country. And we are committed to ensuring that others heard their story and will know the injustice of this outcome.  

The ruling, as awful as it is, is not the end of the case. Our litigation against the ban will continue. We will continue to ensure our plaintiffs’ stories are heard.  

I can’t pretend to know the perfect answer for what comes next, or the exact strategy to navigate the lawlessness we’re facing. But amidst the sadness and frustration, I have hope and pride.  

Hope, because we’re following in the footsteps of like-minded folks who also faced oppressive regimes and regressive Courts. For sure, they faced setbacks; and yet, they pushed the world forward. Our collective past tells us that we can do the same.  

Pride, because even in five short weeks as GLAD Law’s Legal Director, I have seen so much passion and commitment from this team, that it’s hard to imagine being anywhere else at this moment.  

We are all carrying a lot right now and we’ll all experience setbacks differently. As we navigate this and other attacks on our community together, I hope we all give each other some grace. And some space to grieve. We have a lot of work to do and many more cases to come. I can’t promise it will get easier or that we’ll win them all. But I know we’ll do the critical work — spending the coming days, weeks, and months thinking creatively and strategically to continue to meet this moment.  

I’m deeply grateful to be in this with all of you.