The U.S. military will now require transgender service members to leave the military unless they receive special permission, according to a new Pentagon policy revealed in court documents this week. The rule expands earlier restrictions from the Trump administration, which blocked transgender people from joining but allowed current members to stay.
Under the updated policy, the military must identify transgender troops within 30 days and begin discharging them a month later. Exceptions will only be made if retaining a service member is deemed critical to military operations. Those seeking exemptions must also prove 36 months of “stability” in their assigned gender at birth, among other requirements.
The policy claims transgender individuals may face medical or mental health challenges that conflict with military readiness. However, advocates call the move a “complete purge” of transgender troops, affecting thousands of service members. The Pentagon does not track exact numbers but estimates range from a few thousand to 15,000.
The decision follows an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump last month, which criticized transgender service as inconsistent with military values. A 2019 Trump policy had allowed existing transgender troops to remain, but the new rules remove that protection.
LGBTQ rights groups are challenging the policy in court, arguing it violates constitutional rights to equal treatment. Meanwhile, a recent Gallup poll shows 58% of Americans support allowing openly transgender people to serve, down from 71% in 2019.
Defense officials say transgender troops facing discharge will be “treated with dignity and respect.” The policy is now part of an ongoing legal battle over transgender rights in the military.