The Pentagon has issued a memorandum ordering the separation of transgender service members from the U.S. military unless they obtain specific exemptions. The directive, filed in court Feb. 26, effectively bars transgender individuals from enlisting or continuing to serve. Advocacy groups describe the policy as unprecedented, surpassing previous restrictions imposed during President Donald Trump’s first term.
The memorandum establishes a 60-day timeline: Within 30 days, the Department of Defense must identify transgender personnel, and in the following 30 days, begin their discharge. Exemptions may be granted only if retaining a service member serves a compelling government interest that directly supports warfighting capabilities.
The policy follows an executive order signed by Trump in January 2025, which states that gender identities inconsistent with a person’s biological sex conflict with the “humility and selflessness required of a service member.” The Pentagon has also halted transgender enlistments and suspended all gender transition-related medical procedures for active service members.
Legal challenges have erupted in response. The National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) have filed lawsuits, arguing the ban violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment.
As Axios reports, the Pentagon memo comes amid the flurry of legal activity, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directing the DOD to bar individuals “with a history of gender dysphoria” from enlisting or reentering the military:
Zoom in: “Service members who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria will be processed for separation from military service,” states the policy, which echoes language similar to that used in Trump’s order.
Service members who seek to obtain a waiver must show they never tried to transition, according to the Pentagon.
They must also demonstrate “36 consecutive months of stability in the Service member’s sex without clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.”
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The number of transgender people serving on active duty in the military was estimated to be up to 8,000, per a 2020 study published by the NIH that notes the actual number may be greater due to factors including fear of disclosure.
A Gallup poll published in February 2025 found that 58% of Americans support allowing openly transgender individuals to serve in the military, down from 71% in 2019.
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Start your own Military you are .00001 % of the USA the free Shit is gone when does a normal person get free medical.
I support this 100%.