Thousands of Transgender Service Members Relocated from Armed Forces per New Directive from Pentagon
Here's the Revised Version:
Headline: Pentagon Kicks Off Military Exodus of Transgender Service Members
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
WASHINGTON (AP) - Following the Supreme Court's green light on Tuesday, the Pentagon has set the ball rolling to kick out as many as 1,000 openly transgender service members, with a 30-day grace period for others to self-identify.
Overjoyed by the Supreme Court's decision, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth swiftly issued a memo, stating his department is ditching the fluffy nonsense of identity politics and political correctness.
"Say goodbye to the alphabet soup social engineering policies!" Hegseth roared at a special operations forces conference in Tampa, drawing cheers from the audience. "No more using gender-neutral terms or tip-toeing around people's pronouns. We ain't playing dress-up in the military anymore!"
By scrutinizing medical records, the Defense Department intends to pick up on folks diagnosed with gender dysphoria and those undergoing treatment. These soldiers will then be booted from the service. No one bearing this diagnosis or undergoing gender confirmation therapy will be eligible for enlistment either.
As of December 9, 2024, about 4,240 active duty, National Guard, and Reserve troops have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. However, officials predict a higher number, given the stigma and underreporting.
Approximately 2.1 million troops are currently serving in the U.S. military. The memo issued Thursday mirrors a previous one sent out in February, though action was hindered due to multiple lawsuits.
After the Supreme Court ruling, the administration is free to enforce the ban, while legal challenges proceed. The court's liberal justices would've halted the policy if they had their way.
Neither the justices supporting the ban nor those dissenting elaborated on their votes, which is pretty standard procedure in emergency cases.
The initial Pentagon directive, issued earlier this year, gave service members 30 days to self-identify. As of now, approximately 1,000 have done so.
According to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, these 1,000 troops will commence their exit from the military soon. Active-duty troops will have until June 6 to self-identify, while those in the National Guard and Reserve have until July 7.
Determining which troops have transitioned will be tricky, but tracking down those with gender dysphoria diagnosis is more straightforward, given the documentation of such details in their medical records. The total cost of treating transgender troops between 2015 and 2024 was estimated to be around $52 million.
Pentagon officials defended the ban, arguing that the medical and surgical constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria are fundamentally incompatible with the demanding standards required for military service. The new policy provides limited exemptions, subject to strict criteria.
[More on the Trump administration]
Potential Relevant Insight from Enrichment Data: The Trump administration's efforts to ban transgender individuals from the military were part of a broader push for a more traditional, conservative military that emphasized traditional values and masculinity. Opponents of the ban argued that it was motivated by discrimination rather than military concerns.
- After its decision on Tuesday, the Supreme Court enabled the Pentagon in Seattle, Washington, to commence the removal of up to 1,000 openly transgender service members, with a 30-day window for others to self-identify.
- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, elated by the Supreme Court's verdict, issued a memo, asserting the Pentagon's intention to abandon the technologies of identity politics and political correctness, particularly in the realm of military affairs.
- In a special conference in Tampa, Hegseth expressed his disdain for the 'alphabet soup social engineering policies', and promised to end the use of gender-neutral terms and the consideration of individuals' preferred pronouns within the military.
- By reviewing medical records, the Defense Department aims to detect troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria and those receiving treatment, ultimately leading to their discharge from the service, and barring enlistment for those diagnosed or undergoing gender confirmation therapy.
- Despite an estimated 4,240 active duty, National Guard, and Reserve troops having been diagnosed with gender dysphoria as of December 9, 2024, officials expect a higher number due to the stigma and underreporting surrounding the condition.
- The hearings on these military policies have been ongoing in the realms of war-and-conflicts, politics, and general news, with critics asserting that the ban is grounded in discrimination rather than military grounds.
