By Leo Rocha
/ CBS News
How Trump’s orders could reshape the military
The U.S. Army will no longer allow transgender people to enlist, and will stop providing gender-affirming care for service members, it announced on social media Friday.
“The #USArmy will no longer allow transgender individuals to join the military and will stop performing or facilitating procedures associated with gender transition for service members. Stay tuned for more details,” the post said.
The Army later commended troops with “gender dysphoria” in a follow-up post, stating they “volunteered to serve our country and will be treated with dignity and respect.”
The announcement follows an executive order signed by President Trump on Jan. 27 that directed the Pentagon to determine a policy for transgender service members within 30 days.
The president’s order stated that expressing “a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life” and that those doing so “cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had paused bringing in recruits who have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and paused all gender-affirming care, according to a memo issued Feb. 7.
The memo appears in the docket for the case in the D.C. District Court challenging the president’s executive order, which could lead to a renewed ban on transgender troops. Mr. Trump previously disqualified most transgender people from serving openly in the military during his first term, a move that former President Joe Biden rescinded shortly after taking office in January 2021.
“Transgender service members have been serving openly for almost ten years, and currently fill critical roles in every branch and specialty, including infantry, aviation, nuclear engineering, law enforcement, and military intelligence, many requiring years of specialized training and expertise,” SPARTA Pride, a nonprofit organization for trans service members and veterans, said in a statement when the executive order came out. “…The readiness and physical capabilities of transgender service members is not different from that of other service members.”
The Army’s announcement also comes in the wake of another executive order from the president proclaiming the federal government only recognizes “two sexes, male and female.”
On Thursday, the National Park Service removed references to transgender and queer people from its website for the Stonewall National Monument, a park and visitor center in New York that commemorates the birthplace of the modern U.S. LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Leo Rocha is a digital producer for CBSNews.com. Leo has previously written for outlets including VICE, HuffPost and Mic. He covers general and trending news, often focusing on social issues and entertainment.
