In a significant move following the Supreme Court’s recent decision, the Pentagon is set to initiate the discharge of around 1,000 openly transgender service members from the military while providing a 30-day window for others to self-identify under a new directive.
The Defense Department, motivated by the Supreme Court’s ruling which upheld the Trump administration’s policy barring transgender individuals from military service, will now scrutinize medical records to pinpoint those who have not self-identified to date.
This transition has been marked by a clear statement from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, following the court’s ruling.
Hegseth expressed his position on social media, stating “No More Trans @ DoD.” Earlier, during a special operations forces conference in Tampa, he emphasized that the department is moving away from what he termed “wokeness and weakness” by proclaiming the end of certain practices.
The officials acknowledge challenges in accurately determining the number of transgender service members but plan to use medical records to identify individuals with gender dysphoria, those showing symptoms, or receiving treatment.
These service members are to be involuntarily separated from the military, and future enlistees with this diagnosis will be disqualified from enlistment. Gender dysphoria represents a condition where an individual’s biological sex is incongruent with their gender identity.
Up until December of the prior year, it was estimated there were approximately 4,240 active duty, National Guard, and Reserve troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria, although real numbers are suspected to be higher.
Within the military, there are about 2.1 million personnel overall.
The directive, which closely follows a similar memo released in February but previously stalled by legal actions, now moves forward with the Supreme Court allowing enforcement while other legal challenges continue. The liberal justices on the court wanted to maintain a hold on the policy, but neither side elaborated on their decision, which aligns with typical procedures in urgent appeals.
Earlier this year when the Pentagon released an initial directive, it allowed a month for military personnel to self-identify, resulting in around 1,000 individuals doing so.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated these 1,000 individuals will start their voluntary separation from the military soon.
Under the new guidelines, active service members are given until June 6 to self-identify, whereas those in National Guard and Reserve have until July 7.
Determining exactly which troops have identified as transgender through military records may be difficult; however, pinpointing those diagnosed with gender dysphoria will be more straightforward due to the documentation in their medical records including prescribed medications.
From 2015 through 2024, expenditures on psychotherapy, hormone therapy, surgeries, and other treatments for service members totaled roughly $52 million, a defense official noted anonymously, addressing personnel matters.
In an earlier note, Pentagon leaders defended the ban, asserting that the medical and psychological restrictions associated with gender dysphoria do not align with the high mental and physical standards demanded of military service.
The recent policy does, however, allow certain exemptions. Transgender recruits can be considered on a case-by-case basis if they directly contribute to military operations, or if a current service member with gender dysphoria proves a direct military need that also demonstrates stability in their biological sex over three years without major clinical distress.
Despite a waiver potentially being issued, applicants would be recognized by their biological sex in matters such as accommodations and formal address, highlighting ongoing complexities ahead within the Defense Department.