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The Pentagon has announced a ban on transgender individuals joining the military following a memo filed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday (February 10). This decision comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January that also halts medical procedures related to gender transition for service members. The memo, filed with the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., states that all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, as are any unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures for gender transition.
The decision has sparked controversy, with civil rights organizations filing for a temporary restraining order and lawsuits against the administration. Transgender rights advocates estimate there are up to 15,000 transgender service members, though officials claim the number is in the low thousands. Despite the ban, Hegseth stated that transgender individuals already in the military would be treated with dignity and respect.
A recent Gallup poll shows that 58% of Americans support allowing openly transgender individuals to serve, a decrease from 71% in 2019. The American Medical Association and other organizations argue that gender dysphoria should not disqualify troops from serving. The Pentagon's decision reverses policies from previous administrations, including those by President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden, which allowed transgender individuals to serve openly and receive necessary medical care.