Legal Action
Shilling v. Trump
Filed in: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Summary
A group of transgender military service members sued the Trump-Vance administration to block Executive Order 14183, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.” The order reinstated President Trump’s ban on transgender service members from his first term in office. The plaintiffs argue this executive order violates their Fifth Amendment rights to equal protection under the law and due process, as well as their First Amendment right to freedom of expression.
On March 27, 2025, a district court entered an order blocking implementation of the executive order. An appeal ensued, culminating with the Supreme Court issuing a stay of the injunction and allowing the ban to take effect pending appellate resolution.
Plaintiffs
- Commander Emily Shilling
- Commander Blake Dremann
- Lieutenant Commander Geirid Morgan
- Sergeant First Class Cathrine Schmid
- Sergeant First Class Jane Doe
- Sergeant First Class Sierra Morgan
- Staff Sergeant Videl Leins
- Matthew Medina
- Gender Justice League
Plaintiffs' Counsel
- Perkins Coie LLP
- Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Human Rights Campaign Foundation
Defendants
- President Donald J. Trump
- United States of America
- Secretary Peter B. Hegseth
- U.S. Department of Defense
- Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll
- U.S. Department of the Army
- U.S. Department of the Navy
- Acting Secretary Gary Ashworth
- U.S. Department of the Airforce
- Acting Secretary Terence Emmert