Transgender troops may face dismissal from the military under a new order from the Pentagon, potentially affecting around a thousand service members.
In a surprising turn of events, the Pentagon is set to oust up to 1,000 openly transgender service members from the military. The decision comes hot on the heels of Tuesday's Supreme Court ruling, which gave the green light to the Trump administration's ban on transgender individuals in the military.
Bracing themselves for this development, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who issued the latest memo, made no bones about his sentiments. "No More Trans @ DoD," he wrote on social media following the Court's decision. At a special operations forces conference in Tampa earlier in the day, he made his stance even clearer, saying, "No more pronouns. No more dudes in dresses. We're done with that s--t."
Medical records will now be scrutinized to identify transgender service members who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, those who show symptoms, or those currently under treatment. Those troops will be forced out of service involuntarily. No one with this diagnosis will be allowed to enlist moving forward. Gender dysphoria arises when an individual's biological sex does not align with their perceived gender identity.
As of December 9, 2024, there were 4,240 troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria in active duty, National Guard, and Reserve. However, officials acknowledge the number may be higher. In total, there are about 2.1 million active troops.
The memo released by the Pentagon mirrors an earlier one sent out in February. However, any actions were halted at the time due to several lawsuits.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that the 1,000 troops who self-identified earlier will initiate the separation process from the military. Active duty troops have until June 6 to self-identify, while National Guard and Reserve troops have until July 7 to do so.
Determining which troops have changed their gender identity in their military records might be challenging, but those with a gender dysphoria diagnosis will be easier to spot due to such information being part of their medical records, alongside any medication they are prescribed.
Since the initial Pentagon directive came out earlier in the year, about 1,000 service members have self-identified. The total cost for various treatments related to gender dysphoria for service members from 2015 to 2024 is roughly $52 million, according to a defense official who requested anonymity to discuss personnel issues.
The new Pentagon policy permits limited exemptions, such as cases where a transgender applicant can prove, on a case-by-case basis, that they directly support warfare needs or existing service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria can demonstrate that they have a specific warfighting requirement, have never transitioned to their identified gender, and have maintained their biological sex for 36 months without significant distress.
Even in cases where a waiver is granted, the applicant's biological sex will still be recognized for bathroom facilities, sleeping quarters, and official recognition - they would still be addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am."
- The Pentagon's new guidelines indicate a pause in the enlistment of transgender individuals in the military, as no one with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria will be allowed to join moving forward.
- Politics and general news have been abuzz with the increase in the space provided for discussions on transgender rights following the recent decision by the Pentagon to oust up to 1,000 transgender service members.
- In the wake of the Pentagon's decision to discharge transgender troops, there have been growing calls for the reinstatement of guidelines that promote inclusivity and respect for all service members, regardless of their gender identity.
