Hegseth bans future trans soldiers, makes sweeping changes for current ones

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently implemented a ban on allowing transgender individuals to join the military, in line with a directive from President Donald Trump. A memo dated Feb. 7 and signed by the defense secretary states that all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are now paused. Additionally, all medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for service members are also on hold.

The memo emphasizes that service members with gender dysphoria who have volunteered to serve the country will be treated with dignity and respect. However, it remains unclear what will happen to current transgender service members who identify with a gender different than that assigned at birth. The responsibility to provide policy and implementation guidance for these individuals has been delegated to the under secretary for personnel and readiness.

During a recent military town hall, Hegseth criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, stating that unity, shared purpose, and treating everyone equally are the true sources of strength within the military.

Last month, the Pentagon announced that identity months such as Black History Month and Women’s History Month are no longer celebrated within the Department of Defense. An executive order signed by Trump requires updating medical standards to prioritize readiness and lethality, as well as ending the use of invented and identification-based pronouns within the DOD.

The order also states that expressing a gender identity different from an individual’s sex at birth does not meet military standards and restricts sleeping, changing, and bathing facilities by biological sex. This directive revokes former President Joe Biden’s executive order, which the White House argues undermined military readiness and unit cohesion.

The ban on transgender service members, which was lifted in 2014 under President Barack Obama, is now reinstated. Estimates suggest that there are between 9,000 to 14,000 transgender individuals currently serving in the military. Between Jan. 1, 2016, and May 14, 2021, the DOD reportedly spent approximately $15 million on providing transgender treatments to active duty service members.