Haaland displays trans flag outside office after Supreme Court decision on transgender military ban

Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) said a transgender flag is “proudly” on display outside of her office this week after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to temporarily enforce restrictions on transgender people who serve in the military.

“The trans flag is displayed proudly outside my office door today,” the freshman lawmaker said in a tweet on Tuesday night.

“#ProtectTransTroops,” she added.

The trans flag is displayed proudly outside my office door today. #ProtectTransTroops pic.twitter.com/EIEccyG0VM

— Congresswoman Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) January 23, 2019

Hours before Haaland’s tweet, the high court ruled in a 5 to 4 vote to lift two injunctions blocking a Trump administration policy that prevents most transgender troops from serving. 

Transgender people have only been openly serving in the military since the Obama administration lifted the previous ban on their service in 2016.

{mosads}Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said she plans to reintroduce legislation to ensure transgender people can enlist in the military.

In a statement on Tuesday, Gillibrand said that transgender troops “are willing to die for this country, they make extraordinary sacrifices for our freedom, and they are unafraid to fight for our most sacred values as Americans.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Iraq War veteran, also criticized the Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday.

She blasted the move “disheartening” in a series of tweets and urged the high court to make clear “that this sort of discrimination has no place in our military.”