The Trump administration is making good on its promise to strip LGBTQ service members of their rights — this time by kicking transgender troops out of the U.S. military in sweeping fashion. A new Pentagon directive issued Thursday will begin the forced separation of up to 1,000 trans-identifying personnel, with more potentially on the chopping block as medical records are reviewed.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, newly empowered by the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the administration’s ban while legal challenges continue, wasted no time celebrating. “No More Trans @ DoD,” he posted on X, before railing against what he called “wokeness and weakness” in the armed forces.
According to the memo, any troop diagnosed with gender dysphoria — a recognized medical condition — will be involuntarily discharged. New enlistments will be blocked unless strict waivers are granted, and even then, applicants will be forced to serve under their assigned birth sex, including use of pronouns, barracks, and uniforms that don’t match their gender identity.
Legal Loopholes and Cruel Logic
Troops have until June 6 (active duty) or July 7 (Reserve/National Guard) to self-identify. For those already diagnosed, there’s little room for negotiation. While the Pentagon claims a waiver process exists, it’s a narrow, humiliating path that forces trans individuals to “prove” their fitness for combat without any actual transition or distress — essentially, to live as someone they are not.
The Defense Department defended the policy using outdated logic, saying medical, surgical, and mental health “constraints” related to gender dysphoria make trans people unfit for service. But this flies in the face of multiple independent studies — including by the Pentagon itself — that found no negative impact from trans service.
From 2015 to 2024, the government spent $52 million on gender-affirming care for service members. That figure is now being used to justify removal, ignoring the much larger price tags of everything from defense contracts to the real human cost of this policy.
A Chilling Message to LGBTQ Americans
The message to the LGBTQ community — particularly trans Americans — is crystal clear: you can fight and die for your country, but only if you pretend to be someone you’re not. While thousands of brave troops served openly for years under evolving policies, this new order rips the rug out from under them in one cold sweep.
And let’s be real — this isn’t about budgets or unit cohesion. It’s political theater with real casualties. It’s erasing people from the nation’s most visible symbol of service and sacrifice. And it’s happening under the same administration that’s tried to muzzle LGBTQ expression in schools, books, healthcare, and now, the battlefield.
With more than 4,000 troops previously diagnosed with gender dysphoria and millions more LGBTQ Americans watching, this move is more than policy — it’s a declaration of who’s allowed to belong. And right now, under Trump’s Pentagon, the answer for trans troops is: not here. Not anymore.