On Friday, the U.S. Army announced that it will no longer accept transgender applicants and will cease to provide gender affirming care for its service members.
The #USArmy no longer allows transgender people to join the military. They will also stop performing or facilitating gender transition procedures for servicemen. “Stay tuned for more information,” said in the post.
The announcement comes after an Executive Order signed on Jan. 27, which directed the Pentagon in 30 days to develop a policy regarding transgender servicemembers.
According to the president’s Order, expressing “a sex identity that is inconsistent with one’s gender” conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to a truthful, disciplined, and honorable lifestyle, even in their personal lives, and those who do so “cannot meet the rigorous standards required for military service.”
According to a memo dated Feb. 7, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth halted the recruitment of recruits with a gender dysphoria diagnosis and all gender affirming care.
The memo is part of the docket in the D.C. District Court case challenging the President’s Executive Order, which could result in a new ban on transgender soldiers.
SPARTA Pride, an organization that supports trans service members, veterans and their families, stated in a press release, when the executive order was released, “Transgender members of the military have served openly in all branches and specialties for nearly ten years. They fill vital roles in infantry, aviation and nuclear engineering as well as in law enforcement and military intelligence. Many require years of specialized expertise and training.” “…The physical and mental capabilities of transgender members of the military are not different than those of other members of the military.”
The announcement by the Army also follows a second executive order issued by the President, which declared that the federal government recognizes only “two sexes: male and female.”
