The first-ever Military and Veteran Pride Weekend is taking place in Washington D.C. The event is part of a broader initiative by the Mayor’s Office to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, said an organizer. “The armed forces are as diverse as the country that they serve,” Interim Executive Director for Modern Military Kathy Marcello said.

She said she is an Army spouse and an Army brat. Service members from all branches of the military attended a family fun day–though not without some mourning, said Marcello. The Supreme Court allowed the Trump Administration to ban Transgender individuals from serving in the military, according to ABC News.

Marcello said that the ban will be implemented in one week. RELATED | “it is just an absolutely devastating time for the community, which is why having this weekend to make sure that no one feels alone… we'll get through this,” said Marcello. Transgender service members appear twice as likely to serve in the military, compared to the general population, according to a .

“During a readiness, recruitment and retention crisis, pushing out people who are more willing to serve, is not the best plan," said Marcello. Transgender service members are losing their homes–if they live on a military installation, they are losing their careers, said Marcello. SEE ALSO | "There are thousands of service members who want to serve, who have been serving honorably, and they're going to be pushed out in the next couple of weeks,” said Marcello.

“This absolute injustice is happening and the community really needs everyone's support right now."