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Trans soldiers forced to leave US military: 1,000 already dismissed

Pentagon gives 30 days for ‘voluntary’ resignation to transgender soldiers. The directive comes after the Supreme Court decision and Trump’s OK of the service ban

The Pentagon has announced the start of the separation process for about a thousand openly transgender military personnel and given 30 days for the others to voluntarily resign. The measure, contained in a new directive released yesterday, comes in the wake of the US Supreme Court ruling that on Tuesday authorised the Trump administration to enforce the service ban on trans servicemen.

According to data updated on 9 December 2024 by the Department of Defence, around 4,240 active military personnel between the National Guard and reserves are diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a tiny proportion compared to the approximately two million members of the armed forces. The current directive resumes the one issued in February, which was then suspended pending judicial rulings. Since then, about a thousand military personnel have chosen to declare themselves openly trans, and now they will be the first to have to leave the army.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell spoke of a ‘voluntary separation process’, but several testimonies collected by the international press describe a different situation. Rae Timberlake, spokesperson for the Sparta Pride organisation and for 17 years in the Navy, told the Guardian: ‘It’s not voluntary, it’s a decision made under pressure. Those who do not sign risk losing pension, benefits and honourable leave’.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated the Trump administration’s intention to remove what it calls ‘weakness and woke ideology’ from the armed forces. The move is part of a broader plan to reduce rights and protections for transgender people, which also includes cuts to healthcare for LGBTQ+ veterans.

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