A new report suggests that President Donald Trump plans to dismiss all transgender personnel from the military immediately after taking office. This decision is expected to affect at least 15,000 service members. “They would be medically discharged, which would determine that they were unfit to serve,” The Times reported.
In addition to removing transgender individuals currently serving, Trump reportedly plans to ban transgender people from joining the military altogether. This move would end various Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs that have encouraged non-binary individuals to enlist under the principle that “diversity is strength.” Critics of these initiatives argue that some transgender recruits join the military to access costly gender-affirming care. “It would also lead to a ban on trans people joining the military and would come at a time when almost all branches of the American armed forces are failing to meet recruitment targets,” the report stated.
In 2023, the U.S. military fell short of its recruitment goals by 41,000 recruits. While supporters of inclusivity in the armed forces warn that banning transgender individuals could exacerbate this issue, Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee, Pete Hegseth, has blamed “woke” culture for declining enlistment rates.
“The military committed a Bud Lite,” Hegseth remarked, referring to controversies surrounding corporate decisions that alienated traditional consumers. He argued that by actively seeking gender-nonconforming recruits, the military has “offended its core constituency,” which he identified as patriotic, adventure-seeking young men from more traditional backgrounds.
“There aren’t enough lesbians in San Francisco to man the 82nd Airborne Division,” Hegseth said sarcastically. He added that traditional demographics avoided the military to escape the culture of inclusivity, stating, “If I wanted to do the woke cr*p, I could go to the local community college. I don’t need it here.”
Hegseth also raised concerns about mental health issues among transgender service members, emphasizing that gender dysphoria, which was classified as a mental disorder until 2012, could compromise military preparedness. He cited statistics showing that 41% of transgender individuals have attempted suicide, compared to 4.6% of the general population, and that those who have undergone transition surgery are 19 times more likely to die by suicide.
During a Fox News appearance, Hegseth criticized what he called “social justice garbage” introduced into the military during the Obama and Biden administrations. He pointed to the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which allowed openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals to serve, as a turning point for cultural shifts within the military.
Hegseth and Trump aim to restore what they view as the military’s traditional image and attract back its core demographics. Hegseth, who opposes a “weak” and “effeminate” military, said, “Trump has a chance to reverse that” and “clean the military.”
During his first term, Trump banned transgender individuals from joining the military but permitted those already serving to remain. At the time, approximately 2,200 service members were diagnosed with gender dysphoria. President Biden reversed Trump’s ban in January 2021, leading to a current estimate of 15,000 transgender-identifying service members.
