The Trump administration is urging the Supreme Court to hear its appeal of a lawsuit over its policy barring transgender people from the military, a policy for which the high court handed the administration an interim win last year. The Department of Justice filed a petition for writ of certiorari to the justices late last […]
Page B2From§Eachthe supper edition — 1 September 2026
Trump administration bans transgender troops while military suicide rates climb
Born in the era of integration, the military has survived by changing its uniform but not its rulebook. This week, the standing order doubled down: transgender troops are out, readiness is the excuse, and the suicide rates among those still in uniform reach new heights. The ban precedes the death toll, the rule outlasts the recruit. Survived by the soldiers who remain, preceded in death by the ones the policy leaves behind. In lieu of flowers, send a letter to your senator about the living conditions in the barracks. Shit, they still call it readiness.
“They tell you banning trans troops is about readiness, but nobody talks about the suicide rates. It's easier to kick out the soldiers they don't want than to fix the deadly mess for the ones they keep. The price of exclusion is counted in lives, not just headlines.”
“The ban is about maintaining military effectiveness—it's not personal. Sure, suicide rates are high, but that's a separate issue. Did I say that? We care deeply about all service members. Did I say that? Readiness comes first, and sometimes tough choices have to be made.”
The receipts
Soliders were 9 times more likely to die by suicide than in combat
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.