Pentagon Begins Removal of 1,000 Transgender Service Members Following Supreme Court Ban

Following a Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to enforce a ban on transgender individuals in the military, the Pentagon has issued directives to begin removing transgender service members. Up to 1,000 openly transgender troops are being moved out immediately, with others given 30 days to self-identify before the Defense Department reviews medical records to identify additional personnel diagnosed with or treated for gender dysphoria. The Department of Defense has cited difficulties in determining the exact number of transgender service members but estimates at least 4,240 are diagnosed with gender dysphoria across active duty, National Guard, and Reserve forces. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has mandated that active duty troops must voluntarily separate by June 6, with Reserve members given until July 7, after which involuntary separation proceedings will begin. Hegseth has emphasized a shift away from what he describes as "wokeness" and has explicitly stated "No more pronouns" within the Department of Defense. This policy move follows earlier stalled efforts due to lawsuits and marks a significant enforcement of the transgender military ban initiated under the previous administration.