The Pentagon has issued orders to begin a purge of trans service members from the US military, giving those affected until 6 June to resign voluntarily or face immediate discharge. The directive, sent on 15 May, instructs all branches to identify troops with a diagnosis, history, or even symptoms “c
The Pentagon has issued orders to begin a purge of trans service members from the US military, giving those affected until 6 June to resign voluntarily or face immediate discharge.
The directive, sent on 15 May, instructs all branches to identify troops with a diagnosis, history, or even symptoms “consistent with” gender dysphoria.
Those who do not seek voluntary separation by the deadline will be processed for involuntary removal, which is now cleared for enforcement following a US Supreme Court ruling on 6 May.
Routine exams will be “the primary method” for identifying and removing trans service members — or “service members who have a current diagnosis or history of” or are “exhibiting symptoms” of gender dysphoria, according to the memo.
The ban was set out after Trump’s inauguration in January, but lawsuits had paused its enactment until a decision from the Supreme Court ruled in its favour, allowing the Trump administration to enforce a ban on trans defence personnel while the legal challenges were ongoing.
As trans people are a very small percentage of the population, and many trans people prefer to be stealth, the number of trans people serving in the US military have ranged from 4,240 to 15,000. While exact numbers are hard to come by, estimates suggest the policy would affect thousands of active and reservist service members.
Chief Pentagon spokesman, Sean Parnell, said that approximately 1,000 troops across the services have already self-identified as having been diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
Those who self-identify by the deadline will be provided with an honourable discharge and voluntary separation pay determined based on rank and time in service. They will able be able to access pre-separation counselling, temporary health care coverage, employment assistance, financial counselling and community reintegration services.
