Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth halted all sex change procedures or services for all armed forces members, according to a Feb. 7 memo released Monday.
Hegseth directed senior Pentagon officials to enforce compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order forbidding personnel with a “‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex,” which includes halting all sex change procedures and promotions to persons with a history of gender dysphoria, according to the memo made public Feb. 10. The memo says transgender persons “cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for Military Service.”
“Individuals with gender dysphoria have volunteered to serve our country and will be treated with dignity and respect,” the memo reads. “The Undersecretary for Defense for Personnel and Readiness is authorized and delegated the authority to provide additional policy and implementation guidance outside of the normal DoD issuance process, including guidance regarding service by Service members with a current diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria, to implement this direction.”
“For the sake of our Nation and the patriotic Americans who volunteer to serve it, military service must be reserved for those mentally and physically fit for duty,” the White House said in a statement Jan. 27. “The Armed Forces must adhere to high mental and physical health standards to ensure our military can deploy, fight, and win, including in austere conditions and without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions.”
There are an estimated 15,100 transgender individuals serving in the U.S. armed forces, constituting less than 1% of the over 3 million total force personnel, according to DOD statistics.
Hegseth has long advocated for the removal of “woke” policies from the military, which drew the ire of Senate Democrats during his contentious confirmation hearings.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
Featured Image Credit: U.S. Secretary of Defense
