The Pentagon will immediately begin dismissing up to 1,000 military personnel who identify as transgender and will give the remaining personnel 30 days to self-identify in accordance with the new directive.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sent an internal memo to the Pentagon instructing it to begin the process of dismissing transgender military personnel who did not leave the service voluntarily by June 6. For reservists, the deadline has been extended to July 7.
Ministry officials said it was difficult to determine exactly how many transgender military personnel there were, but medical records contained information on those diagnosed with gender dysphoria or exhibiting symptoms of it.
On May 6, the US Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to ban transgender people from serving in the military. The court overturned a ruling that had blocked the implementation of the US leader’s executive order.
On January 21, Trump signed an executive order repealing the provision allowing transgender people to serve in the military. The president’s decision caused chaos in the US military, as senior Pentagon officials misinterpreted the White House’s diversity directives and put a freeze on new weapons deals.
