Washington, D.C.| Former President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to revise its policy on transgender service members, reigniting a contentious debate over military inclusion and civil rights.
Trump defended the move, arguing that allowing service members to identify as a gender different from their biological sex undermines military discipline and readiness.
“Service in the U.S. military demands an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, both professionally and personally. Policies that conflict with this principle harm our armed forces’ effectiveness,” Trump stated.
The decision immediately sparked fierce backlash from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and civil rights organizations.
Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign—two organizations that previously challenged Trump’s 2017 attempt to ban transgender individuals from military service—vowed to take legal action again.
“This policy is not just cruel; it threatens our national security by weakening military readiness and morale,” said Sasha Buchert, an attorney with Lambda Legal.
“We successfully fought this ban before, and we will do so again. As we promised then, we promise now: we will sue.”
Trump’s previous ban on transgender service members, implemented in 2019, was reversed by President Joe Biden in 2021, allowing transgender individuals to serve openly.
The new order represents a significant rollback of that policy and is expected to trigger immediate legal battles.
Pentagon officials have yet to release details on how the revised policy will be implemented, but military and legal experts anticipate a wave of lawsuits challenging the directive.
Critics argue that banning transgender troops would deprive the military of talented personnel and send a harmful message about inclusion, while supporters of the policy claim it prioritizes unit cohesion and operational effectiveness.
With legal challenges looming, the future of transgender military service in the United States remains uncertain.
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