President Trump is expected to sign an executive order prohibiting transgender individuals from serving openly in the military. This move is part of a broader initiative by his administration to address what it refers to as “gender insanity” in federal institutions.
On January 20, shortly after taking office, Trump rescinded a 2021 executive order issued by President Biden that allowed transgender people to serve in the military and barred their discharge based on gender identity. Additionally, Trump signed a separate executive order recognizing only two genders, male and female.
The upcoming order tasks Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a critic of allowing transgender individuals in the military, with developing new readiness standards. These standards assert that transgender troops are not physically or mentally fit for service and aim to eliminate the use of “invented and identification-based pronouns” in the Department of Defense.
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According to a fact sheet for the order, “unit cohesion requires integrity and stability among service members,” citing the extended recovery period following gender-affirming surgeries and the use of “heavy narcotics.” However, health experts have countered these claims, noting that most transgender individuals recover from surgery within weeks and that hormones like estrogen and testosterone are not classified as narcotics.
The order also bans transgender women from using or sharing facilities such as sleeping quarters, bathrooms, or changing areas designated for females. It refers to transgender individuals as “trans-identifying,” a term often criticized as dismissive of transgender identities. This marks a notable shift in language compared to Trump’s first term, during which executive actions primarily referred to transgender people without such qualifiers.
The fact sheet further argues that allowing transgender individuals to serve openly has harmed military readiness and “unit cohesion,” an argument historically used to restrict other marginalized groups, including Black Americans, women, and gay individuals, from serving in the military.
The order, initially reported by the *New York Post*, is one of several aimed at restructuring the military. Trump is also expected to sign orders eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the armed forces and reinstating service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.
