The Pentagon has directed that service members and recruits with gender dysphoria be separated from the US military in accordance with President Trump’s executive order issued a month ago.
According to a memo released Wednesday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office, service members or applicants for military service who have “a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria” are “incompatible with military service.”
The move follows the president’s Jan. 27 executive order, which ordered the policy change and identified gender dysphoria as incompatible with “high standards for troop readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity.”
The Pentagon’s policy directive requires establishing procedures to identify service members with gender dysphoria or a history of it within 30 days and “begin separation actions.”
The government may make exceptions if there is a “interest in accessing the applicant that directly supports warfighting capabilities” or if a service member demonstrates 36 consecutive months of “stability” in their sex “without clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning …”
SPARTA, an advocacy group for transgender service members and veterans, told NPR that trans soldiers have served “openly and honorably” in the United States military for nearly a decade.
“Thousands of transgender troops are currently serving, and are fully qualified for the positions in which they serve,” a statement read. “No policy will ever erase transgender Americans’ contribution to history, warfighting, or military excellence.”
The Pentagon memo also states that “The Department only recognizes two sexes: male and female.” A person’s sex is immutable and does not change throughout their life.
It also states that “Pronoun usage when referring to Service members must reflect a Service member’s gender.” Salutations (for example, addressing a senior officer as “Sir” or “Ma’am”) must reflect an individual’s gender in order to maintain good order and discipline.”
The White House’s executive order last month came as no surprise, given that Trump issued a series of tweets in 2017, during his first term, effectively banning transgender people from serving in the military.
The policy was later reversed by the Biden administration. Trump had also repeatedly stated on the campaign trail that he intended to reinstate the ban on transgender service members ahead of the 2024 election.
There are approximately 1.3 million military service personnel. Although the exact number of transgender people serving is unknown, Palm Center, a research institute dedicated to studying and advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the United States military, estimated in 2018 that it was around 14,700.
In response to the Pentagon’s plan, a coalition of 21 attorneys general from across the country filed a friend-of-the-court brief on Wednesday to block implementation of the ban, which, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James, “cruelly targets transgender Americans who have dedicated their lives to protecting our freedoms.”
“I want all transgender service members and veterans to understand that we see you, respect you, and will always fight for you. “Your service is invaluable, and we will not let this bigoted attack diminish it,” James stated.
In addition to New York, attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin signed on to the brief.
