The Pentagon has issued a memorandum urging transgender military personnel in the Air Force and Space Force to voluntarily separate by the end of the month. The reasoning provided is that individuals with gender dysphoria are deemed incompatible with the high mental and physical standards required for military service.
According to the memorandum filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, troops have until March 26 to resign. Those eligible for voluntary separation pay will receive double the amount they would have received under involuntary separation pay.
Service members with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria that began before a recent memo are allowed to continue cross-sex hormone treatments until their separation is finalized by a Department of Defense medical provider.
Transgender service members are now required to conform to conduct matching their biological sex, including in showers, bathrooms, living quarters, and physical dress and fitness standards.
A recent internal Pentagon memo states that transgender service members or those with gender dysphoria are barred from military service unless they secure an exemption.
Attorney Jennifer Levi of GLAD Law criticized the Air Force memo, calling it part of a purge of dedicated transgender service members and expressing concern over the impact on national security.
The Trump administration's transgender military ban is facing legal challenges, with the Justice Department filing a complaint against the presiding judge for potential bias and misconduct. Several lawsuits are challenging the administration's gender-related executive orders.
