The Trump administration has moved to the military’s trans firefighters, and the Department of Defense has issued a memorandum saying they will be separated from the service unless they are exempted.
The document, filed in court on Wednesday, represents Donald Trump and his latest Salvo for trans rights by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, both of whom have a history of opposing the group and vows to back off their involvement in the administration.
“The military service of service members and applicants and applicants currently have a diagnosis or medical history or symptoms consistent with gender irritability and are incompatible with military service,” the memorandum said.
“The services of these people are not in the best interests of military services and are not clear about the interests of national security.”
The memorandum comes after Trump signed an executive order in January that targeted trans forces in a personal way, calling them “not the humility and selflessness required by service members.”
The Pentagon said earlier this month that the U.S. military will no longer allow transgender people to join and will stop executing or facilitating procedures related to the gender transition of service members. Announced the policy, Hegseth said those in the military who suffer from gender irritability will be “treated with dignity and respect.”
Wednesday’s later memo went further. It said the Pentagon had to develop a procedure to identify trans troops within 30 days, and then within 30 days, it would have to start separating them from the military.
“The U.S. government’s policy is to establish high standards for service members, to prepare, to die, to cohese, to be honest, humble, to unite and integrity,” the memorandum said.
“This policy is inconsistent with the medical, surgical and mental health restrictions of people with gender irritability, current diagnosis or medical history or manifestation of symptoms or symptoms consistent with gender irritability.”
The Ministry of Defense said there is only immunity for the government to retain service members who directly support combat capabilities”.
There is no need for trans troops to self-identify, and the department does not have precise numbers.
According to the Pentagon, the military has about 1.3 million active personnel. Trans rights advocates say there are as many as 15,000 trans service members. Officials say the number is in thousands.
The move is far beyond the unprecedented restrictions of advocates than Trump’s restrictions on trans service members during the first administration. “The scope and severity of the ban are unprecedented. It is a complete purge of all transgender people in all military service,” said Shannon Mint of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).
The memorandum was filed as part of a lawsuit filed by NCLR and Glad Law. The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the January executive order and believes it violates the equally protected part of the Fifth Amendment.
