Under a new directive that was issued on Thursday, the Pentagon has begun moving up to 1,000 transgender service members who openly identify as transgender out of the military. On Tuesday, a Supreme Court ruling buoyed Trump’s ability to place and enforce a ban on transgender people in the military. Military medical records will be reviewed by the Defense Department to identify those that do not openly identify.
Pete Hegseth Posts On X
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s defense secretary, made his views clear on social media. “No More Trans @ DoD,” Hegseth posted on X. Before the Supreme Court’s ruling, Hegseth said during a conference that his department planned on “leaving wokeness and weakness behind.” “No more pronouns,” he added during a speech at a special operations conference in Florida.
Medical Records To be Reviewed
Officials say that it is difficult for them to determine how many transgender people are currently serving; however, they will use medical records to find those diagnosed with gender dysphoria who are either displaying symptoms or currently being treated. Once identified, the troops will be involuntarily forced out of the military.
As of December 2024, officials say there were an estimated 4,240 members of the military diagnosed with gender dysphoria on active duty in the National Guard and Reserve. They added that the number is likely higher now. A memo released on Thursday greatly resembled one that was publicly released in February, but at that time, an action by the Trump administration had been stalled by several lawsuits.
Hegseth Issues Memo
On Thursday, in a memo, Pete Hegseth announced that “transgender troops have between 30 and 60 days to self-separate from the military. ” Hegseth then posted on X, “After a SCOTUS victory for @POTUS, TRANS is out at the DOD>”
“In accordance with policy now reinstated, service members who have a current diagnosis or history of or exhibit symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria may elect to separate voluntarily,” Hegseth said. He then added that if they chose not to do so by the deadline, they would be removed “involuntarily, if necessary.”
Pentagon Issues Statement
“The Secretary is encouraged by the Supreme Court’s order staying the lower court’s injunction, allowing the Department of Defense to carry out its policies associated with ‘Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,’” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement.
The transgender ban is only part of a much bigger push by Trump’s Pentagon to get rid of policies that are related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hegseth announced last month that “99.9%” of DEI-related policies had been eliminated at the Defense Department.
