President Donald Trump has revoked a Biden-era order allowing transgender people to serve in the military. The new president signed an order revoking former President Joe Biden's order known as Enabling All Qualified Americans To Serve Their Country in Uniform, which was signed in 2021.
During his campaign, Trump promised to reinstate the ban on transgender troops he imposed during his first term. In his inauguration speech, he stated his intention to formally recognize only two genders: male and female. There are an estimated 9,000 to 14,000 transgender service members affected by this decision.
The new executive order is part of a series of actions taken by Trump to reverse Biden's policies. The White House criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government, accusing them of promoting a preferential hierarchy over hard work, merit, and equality.
Trump and his Defense Department secretary nominee Pete Hegseth are leading a campaign to eliminate DEI practices within the U.S. forces. Last week, Trump appointed Matthew Lohmeier as the Air Force’s next undersecretary. Lohmeier was previously fired for criticizing the military’s diversity programs and alleging 'Marxism' within its ranks.
Republican lawmakers have been cracking down on transgenderism in the military, with a recent defense policy bill banning irreversible transgender care for minors in the military healthcare system. An order requiring the federal government to recognize only two genders has also been issued, prohibiting the use of taxpayer money for transgender services.
Under this order, federal prisons and shelters for migrants and rape victims are to be segregated by biological sex. The order also blocks requirements at government facilities and workplaces that transgender people be referred to using pronouns aligning with their gender, citing violations of the First Amendment's freedom of speech and religion.
While the order does not mandate nationwide policies on bathroom use or sports competitions for transgender individuals, many states have enacted laws in these areas.
