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The U.S. military has officially banned transgender individuals from joining its ranks and halted all procedures related to gender transition for active-duty service members. This decision follows a memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which was filed in court and dated February 7, 2025. According to the memo, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused.
This policy shift aligns with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which critics say directly targets transgender troops. The executive order has drawn widespread condemnation from transgender rights advocates who estimate there are approximately 15,000 transgender personnel in the military, although official figures suggest the number may be in the low thousands.
A recent Gallup poll indicated that 58% of Americans are in favor of allowing openly transgender individuals to serve in the military, although support has declined from 71% in 2019. Civil rights organizations are currently seeking to protect the rights of existing transgender service members, with ongoing legal challenges to the new policies.