Transgender individuals will be barred from joining or serving in the US military unless they receive an exemption, according to a Pentagon memo filed in court on Wednesday. This memo essentially prohibits their participation in the armed forces.
In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that targeted transgender troops, stating that a male identifying as female is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.
The Pentagon recently announced that the US military will no longer allow transgender individuals to join and will cease providing procedures related to gender transition for service members.
Wednesday’s late-evening memo expanded upon this decision, stating that the Pentagon must establish a procedure to identify troops who are transgender within 30 days and subsequently discharge them from the military within another 30 days.
According to the memo, it is the policy of the United States government to set high standards for service member readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity. This policy is deemed inconsistent with medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria.
While there is no requirement for transgender troops to self-identify, the Pentagon lacks precise data on their numbers. Waivers may be granted in certain cases, provided there is a compelling government interest in retaining the service member that directly supports wartime capabilities.
The military currently has about 1.3 million active duty personnel, with estimates suggesting that as many as 15,000 of them are transgender. However, officials claim the actual number is in the low thousands.
Advocates for transgender rights have described this move as unprecedented, calling it a complete purge of all transgender individuals from military service. The memo was filed in court as part of a lawsuit brought by the National Center For Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLAD Law, challenging the constitutionality of the January executive order and arguing that it violates the equal protection component of the fifth amendment.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stated that individuals with gender dysphoria currently in the military will be treated with dignity and respect.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/27/transgender-us-military-personnel-pentagon-memo-discharge-trump-administration
