US military will start processing the removal of approximately 1,000 transgender troops who have identified as having gender dysphoria diagnoses, according to a Pentagon memo.
Those who don’t voluntarily leave by June 6 for active-duty troops and June 7 for reserves will face involuntary separation.
This move follows President Donald Trump’s executive order in January banning transgender military service. The order stated that “expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.”
The Pentagon’s memo, signed by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, instructs the Military Departments to “immediately begin processing for separation service members who previously self-identified for voluntary separation prior to March 26, 2025.” For those who don’t leave voluntarily, “the Military Departments will initiate involuntary separation processes.”
There are currently 4,240 troops serving with gender dysphoria diagnoses, according to a senior defence official. This policy shift is part of a broader trend of changing policies on transgender military service, with Democratic administrations supporting open service and Trump pushing for restrictions.
US Supreme Court recently allowed the Trump administration to enforce its ban on transgender individuals serving in the military while legal challenges against it continue. This ruling paved the way for the Pentagon to start removing transgender troops from the military.
