Trump plans to ban transgender troops from serving in the military
President Donald Trump is set to sign a new executive order on Monday that will restrict transgender troops from serving in the military. The order mandates Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to update medical standards to prioritize readiness and lethality, as well as eliminate the use of invented and identification-based pronouns within the Department of Defense (DOD).
Additionally, the order will enforce restrictions on sleeping, changing, and bathing facilities based on biological sex. While it is not an immediate ban, it directs the Secretary of Defense to implement these policies. This order will revoke former President Joe Biden’s executive order, which the White House argues allowed for special accommodations for “gender identity” in the military, negatively impacting readiness and unit cohesion.
It is estimated that there are between 9,000 to 14,000 transgender service members, although exact figures are not publicly available. Between January 1, 2016, and May 14, 2021, the DOD reportedly spent around $15 million on providing gender-affirming care to 1,892 active-duty service members.
This new directive is part of Trump and Hegseth’s campaign to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices within the military. GOP lawmakers have also included an amendment in the 2025 defense policy bill that prohibits irreversible transgender care for minors in the military healthcare system.
Furthermore, a day-one order banning DEI policies across the federal government has already affected 395 bureaucrats. The federal government is now required to recognize only two genders, prohibiting the use of taxpayer money for transgender services. Medicaid in some states currently covers such treatments. Federal prisons, shelters for migrants, and rape victims will now be segregated by biological sex under this order.
The order also addresses the use of pronouns for transgender individuals and ensures that government facilities and workplaces do not mandate specific pronoun use. Trump’s team argues that such requirements violate the First Amendment’s freedom of speech and religion.
It is important to note that the order does not mandate nationwide regulations on restroom usage for transgender individuals or their participation in sports competitions. Many states have passed laws on these matters independently.
Overall, this new executive order marks a significant shift in military policy regarding transgender troops and aligns with Trump’s promise to reinstate the ban on transgender service members from his first term. Hegseth’s role in implementing these changes underscores the administration’s commitment to prioritizing military readiness and unit cohesion.
