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President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration is preparing to sign an executive order that would remove all transgender service members from the United States military, according to reports from the Daily Mail.
This move has raised significant concerns within the LGBTQ+ community. Sources have suggested that the order would discharge transgender military personnel on medical grounds, labeling them as “unfit” for service.
During Trump’s first term as president, a similar policy was enacted that barred transgender individuals from enlisting in the military, though those already serving were allowed to remain in their roles. When President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he quickly reversed the ban, allowing transgender individuals to serve openly. However, with Trump’s potential return to the White House, there are fears that transgender rights in the military may be threatened once again.
The proposed executive order, which is expected to be signed on Trump’s first day in office, January 20, would go further than his earlier policy, seeking to remove all transgender personnel currently serving, regardless of their status. If implemented, this could have significant and controversial implications for the approximately 15,000 transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military.
The report also comes amid other legislative efforts targeting transgender rights, such as a move in Congress to prevent the first transgender lawmaker from using female restrooms in her workplace. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed support for policies that would restrict transgender individuals from using facilities corresponding to their gender identity in the Capitol.
Johnson stated that all single-sex facilities in the Capitol, including restrooms and locker rooms, would be reserved for individuals based on their biological sex. He emphasized that women’s spaces should be protected, although unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol. The push to prevent transgender individuals from using women’s restrooms was originally led by Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who introduced a resolution aimed at banning transgender women from using women’s bathrooms in the House. Mace also proposed a bill to extend this restriction to all federal buildings, though neither resolution has yet been brought to a vote.
In response, Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender lawmaker in the U.S. Congress, stated she would adhere to the rules set by her colleagues regarding restroom use in the Capitol.
