Ruling 5-4 on Tuesday, January 22, the Supreme Court has effectively reinstated the policy barring transgender citizens and soldiers from serving their country. This ban allows those citizens to serve if they only disregard who they are and do so according to the gender assigned to them at birth.

This ban includes both those who are actively serving in the military as well as anyone who is in training and those who had dreams of serving their country as readily as those who have not been attacked.

Exceptions to this ban include, “Service members who have been stable for three years in their biological sex prior to joining the military — meaning 36 months after completion of surgery and hormone treatments, Service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria after joining the military can stay in the military if they don’t require a change of gender and remain deployable, Service members who were diagnosed with gender dysphoria before the effective date of the policy can still serve and receive medical treatment, and Transgender persons without a gender dysphoria diagnosis or history can serve in their birth sex,” according to Ariane de Vogue and Zachary Cohen of CNN

   And while this ban still allows for Transgender citizens to serve their country, it is still exclusionary and demands that individuals refute who they are in order to serve a country that doesn’t respect or readily acknowledge their existence.

   The most prevalent revelation thus far is the realization that any time, whether or not this ban applies to you personally, is that our rights can be taken away at the drop of a hat. And it is supported by, arguably, the most powerful position within our government.

   Those who have lived their lives within the military like Jody Davis, a transgender woman who is trying to rejoin the Ohio National Guard after already serving eight years will be unable to serve their country because of this ban.

   While the long-term effects are, of yet, unknown, stripping the military of a perfectly functioning force is unnecessary and dangerous. According to the brief in opposition to the ban, “Transgender individuals have been permitted to enlist in the military since January 2018. The government has presented no evidence that their doing so harms military readiness, effectiveness or lethality.”

   Those who can continue to serve their country in light of this discrimination by the Trump administration will continue to do so, as that is all that matters to them, and all that should matter to the rest of the world.

“Let’s meet face to face and you tell me I’m not worthy,” said former Navy Seal Kristin Beck. “Transgender doesn’t matter. Do your service.”