Thee United States military will remove transgender service members unless they obtain a waiver, according to a newly revealed Pentagon memo issued on Wednesday.
The policy, which surfaced in a February 26 court filing, aligns with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order seeking to bar transgender individuals from serving in the armed forces.
The move marks a significant shift from the policy reversal under former President Joe Biden, who had allowed transgender personnel to serve openly.
According to the memo, “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.”
However, exemptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis if a “compelling p interest” justifies retaining a service member based on military readiness and warfighting capabilities.
To qualify for a waiver, transgender troops must demonstrate that they have never attempted to transition and must have exhibited “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.”
A separate Pentagon directive earlier this month barred transgender individuals from enlisting and halted gender transition treatments for those already in service.
The policy also disqualifies applicants who have undergone “cross-sex hormone therapy or sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery as treatment for gender dysphoria.”
The decision follows years of fluctuating policies on transgender military service. In 2016, under President Barack Obama, the military lifted its ban on transgender troops, allowing them to serve openly.
However, Trump reversed the policy, leading to legal battles before restrictions took effect in April 2019.
Biden reinstated protections for transgender troops upon taking office in 2021, emphasizing that military service should be open to all qualified Americans.
With Trump’s return to office in January, his administration has moved swiftly to reimpose restrictions, arguing that military standards must be maintained without accommodationl for “false gender identities.”