Trump targets transgender service members in new order ahead of expected ban
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Activists participate in a rally at the Reflecting Pool of the U.S. Capitol April 10, 2019, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Trump signed an order Monday calling on the Pentagon to formulate a new policy that would target transgender service members.
Why it matters: The order is not yet an outright ban on transgender service members, but it paves the way for one.
The big picture: The first Trump administration's ban on military service by transgender people, which former President Biden rescinded in his early days in office, affected up to 15,000 service members.
- While there is not an exact count of transgender people in the military, up to 8,000 transgender individuals are estimated to serve on active duty, per a 2020 study published by the NIH.
- But the actual number may be greater due to the limits of self-reporting and fear of disclosure, the study noted.
- In a first step toward another ban, Trump rescinded Biden's policy allowing trans people to serve on his first day in office.
Driving the news: Monday's order echoed comments he made in one he signed on his first day in office that rolled back protections for transgender people: Only two sexes, male and female, will be recognized by the federal government.
- This description in the new order authorizes the Defense Department to potentially block transgender troops as it states "expressing a false 'gender identity' divergent from an individual's sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service."
- It suggests they have "mental and physical health conditions" that are "incompatible with active duty."
Catch up quick: Transgender people were welcomed to serve openly in the military in June 2016 when the Obama administration lifted the Pentagon's decades-long ban and said the DOD would cover medical costs for uniformed personnel seeking a gender-affirming care.
- But the policy was short-lived: Just after the Obama administration's deadline passed for the military to begin enlisting new transgender service members in July 2017, Trump tweeted that the U.S. would no longer allow transgender people to serve "in any capacity."
- After a legal battle, the Supreme Court in 2019 allowed the ban to proceed.
- The resultant DOD rule barred transgender troops and military recruits from transitioning, required most individuals to serve in their birth gender and said service members could "be discharged based on a diagnosis of gender dysphoria."
Zoom out: The order was just one of several measures Trump took Monday targeting what he characterized as "radical political theories" infiltrating the military in is inaugural speech.
- He also signed an order reinstating thousands of service members who were discharged after refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Flashback: Throughout his campaign, Trump targeted transgender people and gender-affirming care, forcing the LGBTQ+ community to brace for his return.
Go deeper: House votes to condemn Trump's transgender military ban
Editor's note: The headline and story have been corrected to reflect that President Trump's executive order is targeting transgender service members with a possible ban (not banning them yet). The story has also been updated with details of the order.
Avery Lotz contributed reporting.
