The Pentagon has quietly issued new guidance ordering United States military branches to identify and discharge transgender service members diagnosed with or treated for gender dysphoria within 60 days, a move that has sparked fierce backlash. The directive surfaced in a court filing late Wednesday.
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The policy, which the Department of Defense did not publicly announce, mandates military leaders to establish procedures by March 26 for identifying transgender personnel, who will then face removal from service within 30 days. The directive also bars transgender people from enlisting or attending service academies and immediately cancels all scheduled gender-affirming surgeries for current service members. For troops receiving hormone treatment, a doctor must indicate that they are medically necessary to continue receiving them while the person is waiting to be discharged from the armed services.
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On January 27, President Donald Trump issued an executive order mandating that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, an avowed transphobe, review policies and recommend ways to kick out transgender military members.
“The medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service,” Defense Undersecretary for Personnel Darin Selnick wrote in the 13-page memo.
Despite claims that the ban is necessary for “readiness” and “unit cohesion,” critics argue that the administration is using discriminatory policies to push qualified service members out of the military. The policy has been met with swift condemnation from LGBTQ+ advocates, lawmakers, and legal experts, who argue that it unfairly targets transgender troops and undermines military effectiveness.
The Congressional Equality Caucus also condemned the directive, calling it reckless and discriminatory. “The contrast between Donald Trump—who cried ‘bone spurs’ to avoid military service—and the countless transgender Americans who serve their country with valor couldn’t be any clearer,” chair of the Equality Caucus, gay California Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark said in a statement. “This is morally wrong, unconstitutional, and stupid.”
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Takano warned that the ban would create gaps in military leadership, disrupt unit cohesion, and waste millions of taxpayer dollars invested in training transgender service members. “Every American who is willing and able to serve should be able to, regardless of how the president feels about their identity,” he added. “As Chair of the Equality Caucus, the largest coalition of Members in the House of Representatives, I am committed to seeing this un-American ban undone and working to pass explicit, long-lasting protections for transgender people who sign up to serve their nation into law.”
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Lambda Legal called the policy “a dishonorable action from a dishonorable administration.”
In a statement, the groups wrote, “This attack on those who have dedicated themselves to serving our country is not only morally reprehensible but fundamentally un-American. Forcing out thousands of transgender servicemembers, who have met every qualification to serve, does not enhance military excellence or make our country safer. Instead, the United States will be losing highly trained professionals who serve in roles critical to our national security.”
The Modern Military Association of America also condemned the move, stating, “This policy directly targets and marginalizes transgender service members, effectively banning them from serving. It sends a harmful message to the world about the values of the United States.” The organization vowed to fight back, reminding the community that they have overcome previous attacks, including “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the earlier trans military ban.
Related: Trump Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth enacts harshest anti-trans military policies yet
Independent journalist Erin Reed criticized misleading reports on a supposed waiver in the policy, clarifying that it only applies to individuals who have never transitioned and are willing to remain closeted. “This is not a waiver for the 12,000–15,000 openly transgender service members currently serving—it is a waiver for people who were never at risk of being discharged in the first place,” Reed, who is trans, wrote on her news blog, Erin in the Morning.
SPARTA, a leading transgender military advocacy organization, estimates that removing 15,000 transgender troops will cost the military an estimated $18 billion in lost training investments, in addition to $1 billion in recruitment and training costs for replacements, Reed notes.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. officials estimate that as of Thursday, approximately 600 transgender service members in the Navy and between 300 and 500 in the Army could be identified through documented medical treatments. Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not have additional numbers to share, the wire service reports.
“The courage and sacrifice demonstrated by transgender servicemembers in uniform deserve our utmost respect and protection—not discrimination,” the joint statement from Lambda Legal and HRC concluded. “This blatant injustice cannot stand, and we look forward to continuing to represent the brave transgender servicemembers in court.”
