Pentagon reverses Trump's de facto transgender troop ban


The Defense Department on Wednesday scrapped policies enacted under former President Donald Trump that made it very hard for transgender people to enlist in the military, serve, or access medical care related to their gender identity. The new policy, which takes effect April 30, largely reinstates transgender policies put in place in 2016 by former President Barack Obama. President Biden signed an executive order in January protecting transgender troops at risk of being expelled from the military under the Trump-era policies.
There are about 15,000 transgender serivce members in the U.S. military, advocates say, and some 2,200 of them have been diagnosed and are seeking care for gender dysphoria, or distress over your gender not matching your birth sex.
"The Trump-era regulations amounted effectively to a ban on transgender troops, according to advocates and activists, who have argued that deepening the enlistment pool to transgender people will help solve the military's perennial challenges to attract enough recruits," The Washington Post reports. Some transgender officers said transgender people are already starting to enlist again.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We should avail ourselves of the best possible talent in our population, regardless of gender identity," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in January, referencing Biden's executive order. "This is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing to do."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Acid rain is back: the sequel nobody wanted
Under The Radar A 'forever chemical' in rainwater is reviving a largely forgotten environmental issue
-
Book reviews: 'Clint: The Man and the Movies' and 'What Is Wrong With Men: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (Of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything'
Feature A deep dive on Clint Eastwood and how Michael Douglas' roles reflect a shift in masculinity
-
Recreation or addiction? Military base slot machines rake in millions.
Under the Radar There are several thousand slot machines on military bases
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Thailand, Cambodia agree to ceasefire in border fight
Speed Read At least 38 people were killed and more than 300,000 displaced in the recent violence
-
Israel 'pauses' Gaza military activity as aid outcry grows
Speed Read The World Health Organization said malnutrition has reached 'alarming levels' in Gaza
-
US and EU reach trade deal
Speed Read Trump's meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen resulted in a tariff agreement that will avert a transatlantic trade war
-
At least 12 dead in Thai-Cambodian clashes
Speed Read Both countries accused the other of firing first
-
US and Japan strike trade deal
Speed Read Trump signed what he's calling the 'largest deal ever made'
-
28 nations condemn Israel's 'inhumane killing' in Gaza
Speed Read Countries including Australia, France, Japan and the U.K. have released a joint statement condemning Israel's ongoing attacks
-
Israeli gunfire kills dozens at Gaza aid site
Speed Read The U.N. estimates that at least 875 Palestinians have died while trying to access food in recent months