Former President Donald Trump has signed an executive order restricting transgender individuals from serving in the military. This directive mandates that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revise medical standards to prioritize "readiness and lethality" and eliminate the use of "invented and identification-based pronouns" within the Department of Defense. The order also dictates that sleeping, changing, and bathing facilities be separated based on biological sex. While not an outright ban, it instructs the Secretary of Defense to implement such policies.
This action reverses a policy enacted by former President Joe Biden, which the White House contends compromised military readiness and unit cohesion by accommodating "gender identity." This new order reinforces a previous directive from Trump revoking Biden's policy that permitted transgender individuals to serve.
This move aligns with Trump's campaign promise to reinstate the ban on transgender troops imposed during his first term. He stated during his inauguration speech that he would formally recognize only two genders: male and female. The estimated number of transgender service members ranges from 9,000 to 14,000, though precise figures are unavailable.
Congressional Research Service data indicates that between January 1, 2016, and May 14, 2021, the DOD allocated approximately $15 million for gender-affirming care (surgical and nonsurgical) for 1,892 active-duty service members.
This initiative is part of a broader effort by Trump and Hegseth to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices within the military. The 2025 defense policy bill, passed by GOP lawmakers, includes an amendment prohibiting irreversible transgender care for minors covered by the military healthcare system.
A day-one order banning DEI policies across the federal government has reportedly impacted 395 federal employees. Another order mandates the federal government recognize only two genders, prohibiting taxpayer funding for "transgender services" following reports of government-funded transgender care for some inmates. Under this order, federal prisons and shelters for migrants and rape victims must be segregated by biological sex.
This order also prohibits requirements in government facilities and workplaces that transgender individuals be addressed using pronouns aligning with their gender identity, which the Trump administration argues infringes upon First Amendment rights. While the order does not establish a national mandate on bathroom usage or sports participation for transgender individuals, numerous states have enacted laws addressing these issues.
