Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE), the first out transgender Congress member, blasted the Trump administrations ban on trans military members in a blistering House floor speech. She called the ban immoral, unfair, and un-American, noting that it has forced thousands of highly qualified patriots out of military service while weakening the military and wasting billions in taxpayer dollars.In her speech, McBride said it was appalling that while families gathered under [July 4th] fireworks to honor our nation and freedoms made possible by those who have worn the uniform, the Trump administration was all too quietly forcing thousands of patriots for military service. Related Trans Rep. Sarah McBride passes first bill in Congress with unanimous bipartisan support She praised the bill as an example of the kind of bipartisan, common-sense policy that Congress should be focused on. These are Americans who have served with honor, with distinction and with unshakable patriotism; brave, honorable and committed patriots who have also dared to have the courage to say out loud that they are transgender, she continued. These are qualified, trained and decorated service members. They have deployed into combat, flown missions overseas and led troops through danger, and now this administration is telling them that despite their qualifications and their exemplary quality of service, that they can no longer serve simply because of how they express their gender. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today McBride noted that her district includes tens of thousands of active duty service members, veterans and military families.In our state, service isnt abstract its personal, she said. And we see every single day what honor, discipline, and sacrifice looks like regardless of someones gender identity. These [trans] individuals met the same rigorous standards as their peers, the same physical exams, the same screenings, the same background checks, and in many cases, under intense scrutiny, they didnt just meet those standards they exceeded them. This decision to remove proven patriots for no justification causes, causes serious weakness to our forces, she continued. It turns away proven courage, it wastes billions in taxpayer investment decades of hard-earned experience and is a direct blow to readiness, because this decision isnt about readiness. Its not about discipline or merit, and its certainly not about cost. Its about exclusion. Its about using identity as a wedge to divide and distract. Its a cynical ploy, not sound policy.She said she has met transgender veterans who have served with distinction, adding, Some step forward while hiding who they are, forced to choose between their truth and their country. Others served openly when policy briefly aligned with principle. All of them, all of them served with honor.We are not made safer by sidelining qualified patriots, she concluded. We are not made stronger by narrowing the ranks of who gets to serve. And we are not made freer by telling brave Americans that their truth disqualifies them from service. This ban weakens our military. It betrays our values and it sends the cruelest possible message to some of our most dedicated citizens: that their service is unwelcome and that one identity matters more than what theyve done, what theyve sacrificed and what they fight for. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision with the Courts Democratic appointees all dissenting that the Trump administration can implement the trans military ban while the lawsuits against the policy proceed in lower courts.Trumps January executive order sought to ban trans military members, saying that they cannot lead an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle and that not usingpronounsassociated with a persons sex assigned at birth violates the militarys high standards for troop readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity.The DOJ told the Supreme Court that the transgender ban is not a ban on transgender people serving in the military, but is instead a ban on people with the medical condition gender dysphoria. Solicitor General John Sauer argued that the separation of powers requires the judicial branch to leave military staffing decisions to the executive branch. Lawyers for the trans servicemembers argued that thousands of transgender people would be discharged while the court challenges are heard, a process that could take years. They said that the executive order plainly states that its based on animus towards trans people, just in the language it uses about trans people not being honorable. Moreover, they argued that transgender people have served in the military throughout the Biden administration without any issues, citing studies that military readiness isnt affected by trans people serving openly.An estimated 8,000 to 15,000 trans service members have since begun to be kicked out of the military due to the Supreme Court decision.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.