As for the transgender ban, the Supreme Court has not issued a final ruling on the matter but instead has lifted lower court bans on the policy’s implementation while challenges to it, including one in Maryland, proceed. That still leaves the door open for the justices to decide on the issue in the future. Given the conservative-leaning make up of the court, we doubt that would bode well in the long-run for all trans soldiers to be able to serve openly. The ban bars those who identify with a gender different from that listed on their birth certificate from serving and prohibits the military from paying for gender reassignment surgery in nearly all cases. The ban would not apply to transgender soldiers already openly serving or those who would serve under the gender identity assigned at birth.