The Pentagon has expanded its ban on transgender service members, ordering their discharge unless they receive a waiver, according to a memo filed in court on Wednesday. This move goes beyond the restrictions imposed during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Last month, Trump signed an executive order targeting transgender troops, claiming a man identifying as a woman contradicts the “humility and selflessness” required of service members.
The Pentagon had already announced it would stop transgender individuals from joining the military and halt gender transition procedures for active-duty troops. The latest memo now extends the ban to those currently serving. Within 30 days, the Pentagon must outline a process to identify transgender troops, followed by a 30-day window to start discharging them.
The memo states the U.S. military’s policy focuses on “readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity,” arguing that gender dysphoria conflicts with these standards.
Waivers will only be granted if retaining a transgender service member directly supports military operations. To qualify, troops must show “36 consecutive months of stability in their sex without clinically significant distress.”
Critics call the ban unprecedented. “It is a complete purge of all transgender individuals from military service,” said Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).
The memo was filed as part of a lawsuit challenging the policy’s constitutionality, arguing it violates the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection clause.
Despite the ban, a recent Gallup poll shows 58% of Americans support transgender individuals serving in the military, though down from 71% in 2019.
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