The Pentagon has announced the immediate initiation of a process aimed at removing around 1,000 transgender service members, aligning with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump earlier this year. This order, which effectively bans transgender individuals from serving in the military, has recently received backing from the US Supreme Court, allowing the ban to be implemented while ongoing legal challenges unfold.
According to a memo circulated by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, the military services will start processing separations for those who had voluntarily identified themselves as seeking to leave the military prior to March 26, 2025. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell emphasized that this group primarily includes service members who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. As of late last year, approximately 4,240 troops identified within this category, and the memo outlined that any personnel who do not exit voluntarily by June 6 for active-duty members and June 7 for reserve members will face involuntary separation.
The directive reiterates that once the specified self-identification period concludes, the military departments will commence procedures for mandatory separations. Trump’s executive order, issued on January 27, explicitly stated that “expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.”
The situation concerning transgender military personnel has fluctuated dramatically in recent years. Under Democratic administrations, policies have been established to allow transgender individuals to serve openly in the armed forces. However, the Trump administration has adopted a contrasting approach, implementing strict regulations aimed at excluding them from military service.
