Military Addressing Directive to Expel Transgender Personnel Per Hegseth's Command
Scrambling to remove transgender troops – here's the deal
Now, let's dive into the controversial issue of transgender service members in the U.S. military.
Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the military is required to start the process of removing transgender troops from the force. In his memo released last Thursday, Hegseth reinstated earlier orders that firmly state," expressing a false gender identity divergent from an individual's sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service."
Active-duty troops have until June 6 to reveal their transgender status and start the process of leaving the service. National Guard and Reserve personnel, on the other hand, have until July 7.
Army Maj. Alivia Stehlik, a former infantry soldier now working as a physical therapist, voiced her disapproval. An Eligible candidate for retirement in three years, Stehlik doesn't want to be dismissed only for being a transgender service member. "I still have a job to do," she said, "My command expects me to show up and be an officer and do my job because I'm the only person at my unit who can do what I do."
The military services have been working tirelessly to put together new guidelines to help commanders process these changes. More complex situations, such as troops deployed, at sea, or those requiring special orders or funding to meet deadlines, are under consideration.
The ban on transgender troops stems back to 2015, when then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter proposed lifting the ban on transgender troops and allowing them to serve openly. While military leaders expressed concerns, the ban was eventually lifted in June 2016 under President Obama.
But Trump, with the goal of preventing transgender people from serving in any capacity, announced this decision in 2017. The following two years brought forth challenges as both legal and policy complexities were ironed out.
The Pentagon ultimately released a policy that allowed current service members to continue their service and even plans for hormone treatments and gender transition if they had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. However, new enlistments of those with gender dysphoria who were taking hormones or had transitioned were barred.
It's worth noting, though, that the ban was eventually overturned by President Biden. When Trump took office again this year, he directed Hegseth to revise the Pentagon's policy on transgender troops.
The fury of lawsuits put a halt on the ban, but on Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled to allow the administration to enforce the ban while other legal challenges proceed.
An estimated 1,000 service members have voluntarily come forward as transgender, initiating the process of leaving the military. Army soldiers are expected to comprise 500, with the Navy contributing hundreds and as many as 50 Marines.
While the exact number of troops affected remains complex, preliminary estimates put the total at around 500. Peter Daly, the Pentagon spokesman, commented that they had been documenting those currently serving in active duty, National Guard, and Reserve with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria since 2015. According to them, about 3,200 service members received gender affirming hormone therapy from 2015 to 2024, and approximately 1,000 received gender affirming surgery.
Concerns have been raised about the impact on unit cohesion, as well as military readiness. Transgender troops have been serving effectively in the services, according to military leaders, who have found no apparent issues in this regard.
Advocates argue that forcing transgender service members out hurts their units and military readiness more broadly. Moreover, premature dismissals could result in significant losses of benefits, such as pensions and health insurance, for those who haven't reached their 20-year retirement milestone.
In conclusion, the removal of transgender service members from the military is a controversial but ongoing process, with varying opinions on its effects on military readiness, unit cohesion, and qualms about benefits losses.
In light of the ongoing process of removing transgender troops from the military, discussions about its potential impact on military readiness and unit cohesion are prevalent. Seattle's General News, alongside the national and international political sphere, has been following the complicated legal and policy shifts regarding war-and-conflicts, including the latest Supreme Court ruling.
