Washington (Agencies): The US Army has officially barred transgender individuals from enlisting and has suspended all gender transition-related medical procedures for active service members, in line with new directives from the Trump administration.
The policy shift, announced on the Army’s official X account on Friday, comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 27 mandating that the military operate strictly based on individuals’ biological sex. This effectively reverses previous policies that allowed transgender individuals to serve openly.
“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,” the Army stated.
Despite the ban, the Army, echoing remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, assured that currently serving individuals with gender dysphoria will be treated with “dignity and respect.” However, the move has sparked concern among advocacy groups who estimate that up to 15,000 transgender personnel serve across the US military. Official figures cited by Reuters suggest the number is lower, “in the low thousands.”
The decision marks a significant rollback of policies introduced under previous administrations that sought to integrate transgender individuals into the armed forces. It is expected to face legal and political challenges from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers who oppose the restrictions.