All currently serving individuals with gender dysphoria will be treated with “dignity and respect,” the military has promised
The US Army has announced an immediate ban on transgender individuals joining the force and has halted all gender transition-related medical procedures for current service members, according to a post on its official X account on Friday.
The policy shift follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 27, mandating the military to adhere strictly to individuals’ biological sex, effectively eliminating considerations of gender identity within the armed forces.
“Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for service members are paused,” the US Army wrote.
Echoing a recent memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the US Army promised to treat all currently serving “individuals with gender dysphoria… with dignity and respect.”
While advocacy groups claim that up to 15,000 transgender individuals are currently serving across all branches of the US military, official figures suggest the number is much smaller, “in the low thousands,” according to Reuters.
Earlier this month, Hegseth, a former Fox News host and US National Guard veteran, spoke out against “divisive” initiatives in the armed forces as he moved to eliminate the Pentagon’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, arguing that these initiatives undermine cohesion.
“I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is ‘our diversity is our strength.’ I think our strength is our unity,” Hegseth told Defense Department personnel. “In this department, we will treat everyone equally… We will treat everyone with respect, and we will judge you as an individual by your merit and by your commitment to the team and the mission.”
Trump first banned transgender people from serving in the US military in 2017. Former President Joe Biden repealed the ban shortly after taking office in 2021, only for Trump to reinstate it in his second term.
Since returning to office, Trump has rescinded dozens of executive orders signed by his predecessor, including at least a dozen measures supporting racial equity and LGBTQ rights. He officially decreed that only two genders, male and female, will be recognized by the US government, adding that these designations cannot be changed. Trump also ended federal support for “chemical and surgical mutilation” of children with puberty blockers, hormones, and other medical procedures related to gender transitions for individuals under the age of 19.
