The Pentagon revealed the specifics of its new policy for transgender soldiers yesterday in a court filing, which states that any soldier or recruit who has been diagnosed or treated for gender dysphoria is denied the right to serve - unless they can prove they meet a specific combat need and adhere to strict restrictions on their daily behavior, the Associated Press reported.
The policy memorandum is included in the documentation of the latest court case challenging President Donald Trump's executive order against transgender military service - one of many high-profile issues that the president has made a priority in his first days in office.
Like the executive order, the memorandum filed yesterday alleges that the combat capability and dignity of the army "are incompatible" with what transgender service members go through when they undergo gender reassignment. The memorandum also states that gender "does not change throughout a person's life." The policy provides for two exceptions: if transgender individuals seeking to enlist in the military can demonstrate in a series of individual cases that they are directly supporting warfighting activities, or if an active duty service member who has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria can demonstrate that they are meeting a specific warfighting need, have never transitioned to their gender identity, and have been gender stable for 36 months without clinically significant problems. If an exception is made in either case, the applicant will face a situation in which only their biological gender will be recognized when using restrooms and sleeping quarters and in formal greetings, such as being called "sir." or "ma'am".
Gender dysphoria occurs when a person's biological sex does not match their gender identity, the AP notes.
Although the number of transgender service members is small compared to the total number of forces, the issue has taken up a lot of time and attention in both the White House and the Pentagon. The military, due to medical confidentiality laws, does not provide an exact number of transgender people in the military, but an independent 2018 study by the Palm Center, a think tank that studies LGBT+ issues, found that among the more than 2 million active-duty soldiers, there are about 14,000 transgender people.
It was a policy that Trump tried to repeal during his first term in office, but the issue ultimately became mired in lawsuits until former President Joe Biden was elected, who completely repealed the ban, the AP recalls.