The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that transgender service members will be removed from the military unless they obtain a waiver on a case-by-case basis. This policy, outlined in a Pentagon memo made public on February 26, stems from an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump in late January, aimed at barring transgender individuals from serving in the military.
According to the memo:
“Service members who have a current diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria, or exhibit symptoms consistent with it, will be processed for separation from military service.”
However, individuals may be considered for waivers if there is a compelling government interest in retaining them, particularly if their presence directly supports warfighting capabilities. To qualify for a waiver, transgender troops must meet strict conditions, including:
Never having attempted to transition. Demonstrating 36 consecutive months of stability in their biological sex without significant psychological distress. A separate Pentagon memo issued earlier in February also prohibits transgender individuals from enlisting in the military and halts gender transition treatments for those already serving.
Under these new guidelines, military applicants with:
- A history of gender dysphoria,
- Past cross-sex hormone therapy, or
- Sex reassignment surgeries are disqualified from service unless they are granted a waiver.
The U.S. military first lifted the ban on transgender troops in 2016 under President Barack Obama, allowing them to serve openly and paving the way for transgender recruits to enlist by July 2017.
However, the Trump administration initially delayed that timeline before ultimately reversing the policy entirely. After multiple legal challenges, the restrictions officially took effect in April 2019 following a Supreme Court ruling. When President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he swiftly repealed Trump’s restrictions, restoring transgender individuals’ right to serve in the military.
However, after returning to office in 2025, Trump reinstated the ban, arguing:
“Expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.”
