Transgender service members in the United States military have condemned a looming ban on their continued service, calling it “horrific” as the enforcement date rapidly approaches.
The policy, initiated by a January executive order from then-President Donald Trump, classifies personnel with a “history of gender dysphoria” as “morally unfit” to serve. Following the order, the Pentagon issued a memo under Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth mandating voluntary separation from the military. Active-duty personnel were given until 6 June to comply, while reserve and National Guard members have until 7 July. Those who remain past the deadline risk involuntary discharge, potentially losing access to healthcare, pensions, and other military benefits.
Critics, including LGBTQ+ rights groups and current and former military personnel, have labelled the policy as driven by “animus rather than reason.”
Among those affected is Army Major Kara Corcoran, who has served for 17 years. She received the memo just days before graduating from an elite military leadership course and was told she must adhere to male grooming standards, including shaving her head.
“Nothing about me is a man but they’re going to force me into male regs just so I can walk across the stage with my peers,” she said. “It’s not my choice to cut my hair. I’m doing it because I have to.”
A veteran of combat deployments in Afghanistan, Major Corcoran has chosen not to separate voluntarily and says she’s prepared to face the consequences, no matter how “horrific” they may be.
Another service member, non-binary naval officer Rae, described the impact of the policy on their family. Rae, who has served on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and in the Middle East, said the uncertainty forced them to transfer jobs in anticipation of dismissal.
“It felt like the safest move for us, in case I was forced to leave,” they said. Their wife, Lindsay, said the experience had pushed the family into “survival mode,” affecting their daughter as well.
Court documents released in March revealed that the Trump administration has struggled to substantiate its reasoning behind the ban. Government lawyers failed to provide specific mental health concerns that would disqualify all transgender personnel, instead vaguely referencing “psychiatric and behavioural disorders.”
While financial costs were also cited, Pentagon figures showed only $52 million was spent on gender-affirming care over ten years — a fraction of the military’s projected $961.6 billion budget for the coming year.
