Defense Secretary Pete Hegses has directed the Department of Defense (DOD) to start the process of removing transgender personnel from the military by early June, unless they choose to leave voluntarily, as stated in a recent memo.
In a note released on Thursday, Hegseth mentioned that active service members identifying as transgender can opt for “voluntary separation” until June 6, with potential access to separation salaries. For reserve personnel, the deadline for this option is July 7.
Furthermore, Hegses indicated that the military will begin to process requests from service members who have already self-identified by March 26, 2025, for voluntary separation.
He expressed that “gender discomfort,” referring to individuals with a current diagnosis or history of symptoms related to gender identity, does not align with the best interests of military services or national security.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s spokesman, noted that around 1,000 individuals who self-identify with gender discomfort will start a voluntary separation process.
Soon after taking office in January, President Trump rescinded a Biden-era order that permitted transgender individuals to serve in the military. Hegseth has since put this new policy into effect at the Pentagon, which has faced court challenges.
The Supreme Court approved the administration’s efforts to enforce the ban on transgender service members earlier this week.
The administration argued that it could not meet the “strict standards” required for transgender individuals to serve, claiming their participation could undermine US military readiness.
“No more pronouns, no obsession with climate change, no emergency vaccine mandates, and no men in dresses. We’ve moving past that,” Hegses stated during a Special Operations Forces Conference in Tampa on Tuesday.
