Glossary
Trans Ban
A trans ban is a policy that prohibits transgender people from participating in a given activity or space, such as military service or sports, based on their gender identity.
Trans ban is shorthand for any policy that bars transgender people from an activity or space because of their gender identity. The most prominent example in the United States is the ban on transgender military service. President Trump first restricted trans service in 2017 and 2018, President Biden reversed that in 2021, and on January 27, 2025 President Trump reinstated and expanded the ban through Executive Order 14183. A federal judge blocked it in March 2025, but in May 2025 the Supreme Court allowed the policy to take effect while legal challenges continued. Similar restrictions have appeared in schools and sports at the state level. LGBTQ+ organizations widely oppose trans bans as discrimination.
Learn more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_14183