Pentagon's Transgender Service Member Directive: A New Era in Military Policy

The Pentagon has announced a directive to remove 1,000 transgender service members from the military, following a Supreme Court decision supporting the Trump administration's ban. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized moving away from 'wokeness and weakness'. The directive affects those diagnosed with gender dysphoria, with a compliance deadline of December 9, 2024.

The Pentagon has taken decisive action to enforce a new military policy that will see the removal of approximately 1,000 transgender service members. This move comes in the wake of a recent Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to uphold its prohibition on transgender individuals serving in the military.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, instrumental in issuing the directive, articulated his stance unequivocally by stating 'No More Trans @ DoD' in a social media post. He also addressed a special operations forces conference, underlining the department's departure from 'wokeness and weakness' and abandoning the use of pronouns.

While estimating the exact number of affected service members poses challenges, officials have reported 4,240 troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria as of December 2024. The directive, mirroring a previous memo postponed by legal challenges, signals a significant policy shift within the military.

(With inputs from agencies.)