Illinois Law professors Lesley M. Wexler and Anthony Ghiotto analyze the impact of the Prioritizing Military Excellence Order, which restricts transgender military service, comparing it to past policies like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and detailing the order’s effects on transgender service members, military law, national security, and unit cohesion. Professors Wexler and Ghiotto argue that the policy forces transgender troops to either leave service or suppress their identity, ultimately harming military readiness, morale, and legal integrity, and they advocate for legal challenges, state-level protections, and continued resistance to discriminatory policies.

Illinois Law professor Lesley M. Wexler examines various government efforts since 2010 to address the harms suffered by lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) service members who were discharged from the U.S. military due to their sexual orientation between the 1950s and 2010, including discharge upgrades, VA benefit eligibility changes, and presidential pardons. Professor Wexler argues that while recent reforms are positive steps, they remain insufficient due to their limited scope, and advocates for three key changes: a proactive Pentagon review of all discharges back to the 1950s, broader discharge upgrade eligibility for anyone discharged due to sexual orientation (except those with unrelated misconduct), and VA benefits access for those who could not complete their service terms due to discriminatory policies.