When Lt. Nicolas Talbott heard the U.S. Supreme Court had granted the Trump administration’s request to pause a lower court ruling in a transgender military ban case, he was sitting in a Mexican restaurant, halfway through a nacho.
“I was like, oh shoot—yeah, that’s bad,” he told The Advocate with a chuckle. But the Ohio-based Army reservist wasn’t just cracking jokes. He was also bracing for what could be a career-ending blow.
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Talbott, 31, is one of the lead plaintiffs in Talbott v. United States, a case brought by GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, challenging the Trump administration’s 2025 ban on transgender military service. He joined the Army in 2024 after nearly a decade of trying to serve. Now, as one of the only lieutenants on-site in his military police unit, he’s not just fighting for his future — he’s holding the line for thousands of others. When The Advocate first met him at Washington, D.C.’s E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse during a hearing in his case in March, he was nervously stoic. The following week after Judge Ana Reyes ruled that Trump’s trans military ban could not proceed, he spoke withThe Advocate optimistically. Last week, it was with frustration.
“It was not at all what any of us wanted to have happen,” Talbott said, referring to the high court’s stay in Shilling v. United States, a separate but related case. “A lot of us are really just kind of preparing for the storm at this point. We don’t know how things are going to look in the courts moving forward, and we have to prepare to face the worst-case scenario that we are all about to lose our jobs in a very quick period of time.”
Related: Meet the transgender Army lieutenant who is challenging Donald Trump's military ban
Talbott says he won’t quit. One of his lawyers, Shannon Minter, the legal director at NCLR told The Advocate that no transgender person should have to leave the military.
“I do not have any plans to pursue voluntary separation,” Talbott said. That declaration comes as the Department of Defense continues implementing President Donald Trump’s executive order, which excludes from service anyone with a diagnosis, history, or even symptoms of gender dysphoria. A DOD memo issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday set June 6 as the deadline for voluntary separation before forced removal begins.
Nic Talbott in uniform.Courtesy Nicolas Talbott
The Biden administration reversed the first Trump-era ban in 2021, allowing Talbott to enlist. He completed basic training with distinction and earned his commission in early 2025. He now serves as a platoon leader, and despite facing potential discharge, he remains focused on the job. “When I’m at any job that I do, my being transgender is the absolute last thing on my mind,” he said. “I’m focused on the task at hand, whether it’s civilian work or the military.”
Related: Transgender service members warn SCOTUS of ‘Un-American’ purge if Trump ban is reinstated
Talbott also holds a master’s degree in global security and counterterrorism. “I exceed the minimum level of education to be an officer,” he noted, adding that his experience in challenging civilian management roles has made him uniquely equipped to lead. If he’s forced out, he said, “they’re losing somebody who’s got over a decade of experience dealing with high-pressure situations, making quick split-second decisions, being able to pivot… that kind of experience cannot be replaced easily.”
The Trump administration doesn’t see it that way. In legal filings, Department of Justice attorneys claimed the policy is neutral, citing “readiness risks” and denying that it’s driven by animus. But in a letter submitted to the D.C. Circuit, Talbott’s attorneys said otherwise—pointing to statements from Hegseth, who said in a video posted by the Pentagon that the military is “done with that shit,” referring to “dudes in dresses” and “climate change obsessions.”
“It’s certainly disappointing to have that come from such a high authority,” Talbott said. “But again, I’m just going to keep showing up every day and proving that sentiment wrong.”
Nicolas Talbott enjoys spending time in the gym.Courtesy Nicolas Talbott
Talbott, who joined the Army because he felt called to serve something bigger than himself, says he’s not in it for money or status.
“I could make so much more in the civilian sector, but it’s not what I want to do,” he said. “I love the mission. I love being able to be part of something so much bigger than me.”
Related: Transgender service members relieved after judge blocks Trump's military ban
Asked how it feels to be told—by the same government that employs him—that he lacks integrity and doesn’t meet Army values, Talbott shrugged. “It’s an annoyance. I show up every day and prove that wrong. I try to live and breathe the Army values, even daily. My friends tease me all the time: ‘You are such a goody two-shoes.’”
He recognizes the contradiction of serving a government that officially denies his right to exist. “It’s definitely mind-blowing,” he said. “But getting angry or throwing my hands up won’t help me. It won’t help the trans community. It won’t help the military.”
Instead, Talbott channels his energy into showing up. “We should want people who are the best of the best. People who are experienced, educated, and natural leaders,” he said. “I check every box. So what’s the issue?”
Talbott keeps his social media inboxes open to field questions, sometimes from people on the fence. “There are so many people out there willing to learn,” he said. “They have preconceived notions about trans people. And I hear many legitimate concerns in a military context, but they’re misinformed. They’re myths. We’ve dispelled them.”
One such myth is that transgender people require a lot of medical treatment. Talbott is proof that’s false. He self-administers a shot every two weeks, which he’s done for more than a decade. "That’s all,” he said.
Related: ‘Too strong for sports, too weak to serve?’ Trans troops challenge Trump’s military ban on ‘The Daily Show’
He credits his ability to stay grounded to his support system and upbringing. “I was raised in a family where anything that possibly could go wrong always went wrong,” he said. “They taught me that the world’s not going to stop turning just because you’re having a bad day.”
When things get tough, he finds joy in the ordinary. He’s planning a Rock Band night with his closest friends, whom the trivia lover calls “the Brain Cells,” after his mom recently unearthed his old Xbox setup from the basement. “Everything still works,” he said. “We want to have a Brain Cell Rock Band night at my house.”
Nic Talbott with his dog Lilly.Courtesy Nicolas Talbott
In civilian life, Talbott works in college logistics—shuttling between states to help students move or install dorm furniture. He’s often on the road, constantly juggling multiple responsibilities. But when he talks about his military career, it’s clear where his heart lies. “Even when I’m absolutely miserable—out in the field doing something horrible—I love every minute of it,” he said.
Asked why he keeps fighting, Talbott said it’s not just about him. “I do what I do for that young trans kid who I was 10 or 15 years ago and needed someone to look up to,” he said. “I’m a soldier. That’s what we do. We do the hard thing.”
And though his case could eventually end up at the Supreme Court, Talbott isn’t backing down. “What we’re talking about is ending the careers of U.S. military veterans,” he said. “People who’ve taken bullets for this country. If we are forced to give up our military service, this will have huge impacts on our families, units, and the military as a whole.”
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His unit, he added, would immediately lose its only platoon leader. “They might find a warm body to fill my shoes,” he said. “But you’re not going to find someone with my education, my experience, and my passion for this job.”
And despite everything—the attacks, the court battles, the rhetoric—Talbott still insists he’s just a regular guy trying to live an everyday life.
“I’m just bebopping through life, bonking my shins on the coffee table, trying to figure out how to loosen the tie rods on my car,” he said. “Being trans? That’s the least interesting thing about me.”
