Following a directive from President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has implemented a pause on new military accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria. This action, effective immediately, also halts all scheduled or planned medical procedures related to gender transition for service members. A memo signed by Hegseth emphasizes that serving personnel with gender dysphoria will be treated with dignity and respect. However, the memo’s lack of clarity regarding the status of current transgender service members has raised questions, with the responsibility for policy guidance delegated to the under secretary for personnel and readiness.
During a recent town hall, Secretary Hegseth criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, asserting that unity and shared purpose, not diversity, constitute the military's true strength. He underscored the department's commitment to treating everyone equally and judging individuals based on merit and dedication to the mission. This follows an executive order signed by President Trump last month mandating Hegseth to prioritize readiness and lethality in medical standards and to discontinue the use of identification-based pronouns within the Department of Defense. The order further specifies that expressing a gender identity different from biological sex does not meet military standards and restricts accommodation facilities based on biological sex. This directive effectively reverses President Biden’s previous executive order, which the White House claims compromised military readiness by allowing for gender identity considerations.
This policy shift comes after the Pentagon recently declared identity-based observances, such as Black History Month and Women's History Month, discontinued within the Department of Defense. While a 2014 ban on transgender service members was lifted under President Obama, current estimates suggest between 9,000 and 14,000 transgender individuals serve in the military. Congressional Research Service data indicates that between 2016 and 2021, the DOD allocated approximately $15 million for transgender treatments for roughly 1,900 active-duty service members.
