La Crosse area LGBTQ advocacy group reacts to Supreme Court decision on transgender soldiers

The Supreme Court dealt a win to the Trump administration Tuesday.

With a 5-4 vote, it allowed a ban on new soldiers who identify as transgender to continue, as the case is challenged through the lower courts.

Eddie Luker with the 7 Rivers LGBTQ Connection in La Crosse said there are thousands of trans people who have served honorably in service, including one locally.

“Locally here, a trans woman who served in the Air Force 17 years in Iraq, she received an honorable discharged,” Luker said. “I can’t imagine how she’s taking this. Her service, and the service of other trans people can just be erased by this policy.”

The policy requires transgender soldiers to serve in their biological sex, and if they have a transition, they would be disqualified from service.

It makes exceptions for those already serving openly, a number which saw a rise during the Obama administration.

Luker said the soldiers who serve with trans people don’t really have an issue.

“They have worked alongside trans people,” Luker said. “They know them to be the patriots that they are. We also have approximately 134,000 veterans who are trans people. What message does this send them?”

In a statement, the Department of Defense said: “It is critical that the Department of Defense be permitted to implement personnel policies that it determines are necessary to ensure the most lethal and combat effective fighting force in the world.”