U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly planning to sign an executive order that would remove transgender individuals currently serving in the U.S. military. The order would declare transgender personnel “unfit” for service, resulting in their medical discharge, according to The Sunday Times, citing unnamed officials.
Currently, there are approximately 15,000 transgender service members in the U.S. military. During Trump’s first term, he introduced a ban that prevented transgender individuals from joining the armed forces but allowed those already serving to remain. However, if the new executive order is signed as anticipated on January 20, Trump’s first day back in office, it will extend the ban to those currently in service, effectively expelling them from the military.
This potential policy shift comes amid ongoing concerns from the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly after President Joe Biden lifted Trump’s ban during his first term. The Biden administration’s reversal of the ban allowed transgender individuals to serve openly in the military, and around 2,200 service members were diagnosed with gender dysphoria under Biden’s leadership. Many other personnel who identify as a gender different from the one they were assigned at birth have also served without facing discrimination.
Trump’s views on transgender rights have been a topic of controversy for some time. He has repeatedly expressed opposition to policies that support transgender rights, including initiatives that promote transgender inclusion in sports and education. Trump has previously pledged to cut funding for schools teaching “critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate content” to children, positioning himself against progressive views on gender identity.
In addition, Trump’s defense pick, Pete Hegseth, who is expected to head the U.S. military under a second Trump administration, has expressed dismissive views on transgender personnel serving in the armed forces. Hegseth has argued that efforts to incorporate transgender individuals, as well as women, into the military are detrimental to U.S. security.
The controversy around transgender rights has also been fueled by comments made by Trump’s Vice President-elect JD Vance. Earlier this month, Vance triggered backlash by suggesting that some white children are incentivized to identify as transgender in order to gain college admissions, particularly to Ivy League schools. His remarks, made during a podcast with Joe Rogan, suggested that upper-middle-class white parents view transgender identification as a strategy for their children to participate in diversity initiatives at prestigious universities.
As the U.S. heads into another election cycle, the debate surrounding transgender rights and inclusion in military service continues to be a contentious issue. Trump’s plans to remove transgender individuals from the armed forces could significantly affect the lives of thousands of service members and further fuel the divide on LGBTQIA+ rights in America.
Sources By Agencies
