Pentagon plans to remove transgender service members under new policy

The Pentagon plans to kick out currently serving transgender service members who don’t meet specific requirements under its new policy, according to official guidance made public in a Wednesday court filing.

The Pentagon plans to kick out currently serving transgender service members who don’t meet specific requirements under its new policy, according to official guidance made public in a Wednesday court filing. “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,” says a memo outlining the policy, which was signed by the official performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. The memo was included in a court filing as part of an ongoing lawsuit over the Pentagon’s policy. “The Department only recognizes two sexes: male and female,” the policy memo says. “An individual’s sex is immutable, unchanging during a person’s life. All service members will only serve in accordance with their sex.” The policy guidance follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January directing the Pentagon to implement its own policies that say transgender service members are incompatible with military service. It’s unclear how many transgender individuals serve in the military; in 2018, an independent research institute estimated there were 14,000 transgender troops serving. The exceptions for removal from military service are if there is a “compelling Government interest … that directly supports warfighting capabilities” and if the individual is willing to adhere to all standards “associated with the applicant’s sex.” A service member will also be able to be retained if they demonstrate “36 consecutive months of stability” in their sex with no “clinically significant distress or impairment,” if they can prove they have “never attempted to transition to any sex other than their sex” and if they are willing to adhere to “all applicable standards” relating to their sex.