US: Transgender Citizens Barred from Joining Army

• The U.S. Army will no longer allow transgender people to enlist and will discontinue gender-affirming care for service members

• This policy follows President Trump’s executive order, which asserts that expressing a gender identity inconsistent with one’s sex conflicts with military standards

The U.S. Army has announced that transgender individuals will no longer be allowed to enlist, and gender-affirming care for service members will be discontinued.

“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. Stay tuned for more details,” the Army posted on social media Friday.

In a follow-up post, the Army acknowledged service members with gender dysphoria, stating they “volunteered to serve our country and will be treated with dignity and respect.”

This policy shift follows an executive order signed by President Trump on January 27, directing the Pentagon to establish a policy for transgender service members within 30 days.

The order stated that expressing “a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life” and that such individuals “cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.”

According to a February 7 memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the recruitment of individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria has been paused, along with all gender-affirming care.

The memo is now part of a legal case in the D.C. District Court challenging the executive order, which could lead to a renewed ban on transgender troops. Previously, during his first term, President Trump disqualified most transgender individuals from serving openly in the military, a policy that former President Joe Biden overturned in January 2021.

“Transgender service members have been serving openly for almost ten years and currently fill critical roles in every branch and specialty, including infantry, aviation, nuclear engineering, law enforcement, and military intelligence, many requiring years of specialized training and expertise,” SPARTA Pride, a nonprofit supporting transgender service members and veterans, stated in response to the executive order. “…The readiness and physical capabilities of transgender service members are no different from those of other service members.”

The Army’s announcement also follows another executive order from President Trump affirming that the federal government will only recognize “two sexes, male and female.”

Additionally, on Thursday, the National Park Service removed references to transgender and queer individuals from its website for the Stonewall National Monument in New York, which commemorates the birthplace of the modern U.S. LGBTQ+ rights movement.