US Army Bans Transgender People From Enlisting in the Military

The U.S. Army has announced an immediate ban on transgender individuals from enlisting and will halt gender-affirming medical procedures for service members.

"The #USArmy will no longer allow transgender individuals to join the military and will stop performing or facilitating procedures associated with gender transition for service members," the Army stated. "Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for Service members are paused. Individuals with gender dysphoria have volunteered to serve our country and will be treated with dignity and respect."

The move follows broader policy shifts within the federal government. A recent executive order asserts the military will recognize only two sexes, male and female. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously halted the recruitment of individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria and suspended gender-affirming medical care in a February 7 memo. That memo is now central to a lawsuit, which argues the "discriminatory ban is a threat to our national security."

The case, brought before the D.C. District Court, represents six actively serving transgender service members, a transgender individual seeking to enlist.

There are 134,000 transgender veterans in the U.S., with approximately 15,500 currently serving in the armed forces.

"What about the ones already IN the military?" one user questioned on X.

"Can you give a reason why these people shouldn't be allowed to serve if they meet all other requirements?" another asked.

"Transgender Americans have served openly and honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces for nearly a decade. Thousands of transgender troops are currently serving and are fully qualified for the positions in which they serve." SPARTA Pride, an organization for transgender military personnel, stated after a previous executive order. "Anyone who meets the standards should be able to serve. There are already thousands of transgender service members currently in the military who have met the standards and have more than proven themselves. There's no reason to deny transgender Americans the opportunity to serve or limit access to medically necessary care that all service members are entitled to."