FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13,2025
Contacts:
Amanda Johnston, ajohnston@glad.org, 617-417-7769
Malkia Hutchinson, mhutchinson@nclrights.org, 202-734-3548
Transgender military ban attorneys and plaintiffs in Talbott v. Trump react to yesterday’s hearing to block the ban
“The government has nothing to back up the aggressive actions they are already taking to remove people from positions and posts they are serving in across the globe,” says GLAD Law
WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes heard arguments yesterday in Talbott v. Trump to make a determination about whether to issue a preliminary injunction that would block implementation of the transgender military ban resulting from President Trump’s executive order. She is expected to issue her decision on this motion prior to March 25.
The Talbott case has 20 plaintiffs who are experiencing significant harms as the result of the ban, including paused deployments, forced administrative leave, delay or denial of essential medical care, and other significant harms including what would eventually result in the end of their military careers by being discharged through administrative separation, a process used to address instances of misconduct.
GLAD Law’s Jennifer Levi and NCLR’s Shannon Minter, the lead attorneys in this case, are transgender themselves and each have more than three decades of experience litigating landmark and key LGBTQ+ cases. Together, Levi and Minter led the legal fight in 2017 against the transgender military ban in Doe v. Trump and Stockman v. Trump, which secured a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the ban.
Lead attorneys GLAD Law Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights Jennifer Levi and NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter along with plaintiffs Major Erica Vandal and Second Lieutenant Nicolas Talbott, respond to yesterday’s hearing:
“The government presented no evidence to justify yanking qualified personnel from vital positions worldwide,” said GLAD Law Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights Jennifer Levi. ” We’ve seen plaintiffs abruptly removed from active combat deployments, specialized training operations, and critical leadership roles despite meeting all standards. These service members, and many others, now find their careers suspended, creating dangerous gaps in our military and threatening national security. The American public should be deeply troubled by an administration willing to compromise military readiness to advance its hostility toward transgender people. We remain hopeful the court will act swiftly to stop this senseless damage.”
“I wish every American could have been in court today to hear firsthand for themselves the government admit they have absolutely no evidence to justify this ban,” said NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter. “For these servicemembers to be put into this situation, where they are being separated from not just jobs, but a lifelong commitment to military service and to our country—and at the pace at which the government has so aggressively moved to implement this ban—the harms that they have suffered and are continuing to suffer are so disturbing. I can’t stress enough the severity of the harms and the extraordinary pressure that these individuals and their families are currently under.”
“I have served with distinction in the United States Army for nearly 14 years. Before me, my father served for four decades. I grew up on military bases. The military was and continues to be my entire life,” said Major Erica Vandal. “I also have an incredible family. I am married with two children, and their support for me and my military career has required tremendous sacrifices on behalf of our country. I am grateful to have them in my life and for their support, as I know so many servicemembers are to their own families. It’s difficult to have a conversation with them about what’s happening. It’s hard to fully comprehend the full scope and impacts of a ban. The military that we know and love and that I have dedicated my life to is suddenly rushing to place on administrative leave and then purge every transgender servicemember for reasons unrelated to our ability to do our jobs or meet the standards. It is systematically dismantling our careers and seeking to place a stain upon our permanent records for nothing more than who we are.”
“From growing up and working on my grandmother’s family farm in Lisbon, Ohio to my pursuit of a graduate degree in criminology, I have been focused on one thing: training, studying, and meeting my goals to become a member of our military,” said Second Lieutenant Nicolas Talbott. “I am now a platoon leader for my military policing unit in the U.S. Army Reserve, and more than anything, I just want to continue to do the job that I have qualified for, trained for, and committed to in order to serve my country. The forced separation of dedicated, qualified servicemembers, the dismantling of careers, and the disrespect shown to families who have sacrificed so much is so counter to our military values. These policies disregard merit and achievement and unleash unfathomable harms upon the lives, families, and careers of transgender servicemembers.”
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The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Since its founding, NCLR has maintained a longstanding commitment to racial and economic justice and the LGBTQ community’s most vulnerable. www.nclrights.orgGLAD Law (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders) has been a leading force in LGBTQ+ rights for nearly 50 years. With deep roots in New England and impact nationwide, we use
