Transgender military members challenging President Donald Trump’s military service ban are seeking a nationwide class action lawsuit as a federal court sets the timeline for the next phase of the lawsuit.
series of Submitted documents on wednesday talbot vs trump In the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the plaintiffs filed a fifth amended complaint with a motion for class certification, supported by an extensive declaration explaining the impact of the military-wide policy.
The lawsuit is filed by 30 transgender military members and prospective enlistees. The submissions were timely filed within deadlines set by U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes, who approved a briefing schedule that requires the government to respond by May 29 and the plaintiffs to respond by June 12.
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The push for class certification comes at a pivotal legal moment. In 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court curtailed the use of nationwide injunctions in the following areas: Trump vs. CASAlimiting the ability of lower courts to block federal policies that affect parties not involved in the case.
said Lauren Gray, vice president of communications and public affairs at the National Center for LGBTQ Rights. defender Class certification requests are designed to ensure that any ruling has broad application.
“Given the Supreme Court’s recent decisions, we want to ensure that a favorable ruling protects all transgender service members, not just the plaintiffs in this case,” Gray said. Without class certification, even a favorable ruling would apply only to an individual plaintiff, potentially leaving thousands of others covered by the policy.
of lawsuit is challenging President Trump’s January 2025 executive order directing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon to ban transgender military service, a policy the plaintiffs argue amounts to the wholesale exclusion of eligible soldiers.
Among those leading this challenge is NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter. He was named in the annual report this week. time 100 List of most influential people. minter said defender On Wednesday, the military ban was one of the most urgent battles facing transgender Americans, pointing to the discharge of service members who have proven their competency for military service.
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“The injustice of expelling transgender service members who have done nothing but great work for our country is simply intolerable,” he said.
In March 2025, Reyes issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the ban, determining that it was likely unconstitutional and “hostile.” Last May, the Supreme Court ruled in a similar case in Washington state, Schilling v. United States, allowing the policy to remain in effect while the case continues, increasing the risk for people currently serving time in prison.
Plaintiffs are now documenting what they claim are real-time results.
Throughout the filing, service members describe career interruptions, uncertainty about whether they can continue their military service, and barriers to medical care. Plaintiffs argue that these harms are consistent across branches, emphasizing their claim that the policy is uniformly implemented nationwide.
That unity is central not only to their constitutional claims but also to their efforts to meet the legal requirements of class recognition and secure redress beyond a small number of individuals.
Minter said the case reflects a broader fight over whether transgender people can fully participate in American society.
“Transgender people just want to be able to participate and contribute to our society,” he said.
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
