Washington: The Pentagon has issued a directive requiring the removal of transgender service members from the US military within 30 days, following an executive order from President Donald Trump. This order mandates that the military establish procedures by March 26 to identify service members diagnosed with or undergoing treatment for gender dysphoria. Identification may depend on self-reporting or reports from colleagues.
This policy builds on a previous directive from Trump aimed at banning transgender individuals from military service, which has faced legal challenges. Estimates suggest that hundreds of transgender service members may be identified through medical records, representing a small fraction of the 2.1 million active-duty troops.
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argue that the medical conditions associated with gender dysphoria do not align with military standards. In a memo, Darin Selnick, the acting undersecretary for personnel, stated that the mental and physical demands of military service are incompatible with the experiences of transgender individuals undergoing transition, asserting that gender is “immutable.”
Legal representatives for six transgender service members have challenged the executive order in court, claiming it reflects a bias against transgender individuals, treating them as “unequal and dispensable” and undermining their dignity. Sarah Warbelow, vice president for legal affairs at the Human Rights Campaign, expressed concerns that the policy pressures transgender troops to disclose their identity, potentially putting them in conflict with military orders.
According to US officials, approximately 600 transgender personnel in the Navy and between 300 to 500 in the Army could be identified through medical records.