The United States has begun a process to remove transgender troops from the military, according to a memo released by the Pentagon. The policy change comes as part of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January, aiming to restrict transgender individuals from serving in the military unless they meet specific criteria for a waiver.
The Pentagon memo stated that service members with a current diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria would be processed for separation from the military within 30 days. However, those individuals may be eligible for a waiver, which will be granted on a case-by-case basis if they can demonstrate that their continued service supports warfighting capabilities. To be considered for a waiver, service members must show they have never attempted to transition and must also prove 36 consecutive months of stability without clinically significant distress or impairment in any important areas of functioning.
This marks a shift from previous policies that allowed transgender individuals to serve openly in the military under the Obama administration, which lifted the ban in 2016. President Trump sought to reverse these policies, initially through delays and legal battles, with restrictions finally taking effect in April 2019. After Biden took office in 2021, he reversed these restrictions, allowing transgender individuals to serve openly once again. However, Trump’s recent executive order has brought the debate over transgender military service back into the spotlight, continuing the ongoing political discourse surrounding transgender rights in the U.S.
