President Trump issued what appears to be a significant bar to transgender persons from serving in the armed forces. In a March 23 statement, Trump called for the disqualification of persons who “have a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria,” except under “certain limited conditions.”
An accompanying March 23 White House announcement stated that Defense Secretary James Mattis should move forward with a plan that would significantly limit the conditions under which transgender could join or remain in the military.
“The accession or retention of individuals with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria — those who may require substantial medical treatment, including through medical drugs or surgery — presents considerable risk to military effectiveness and lethality,” the White House stated. “This new policy will enable the military to apply well-established mental and physical health standards — including those regarding the use of medical drugs — equally to individuals.”
The announcement cited a study conducted by “senior uniformed and civilian leaders, including combat veterans, which stated that the presence of transgender service members would be disruptive to mission readiness. Last month, Mattis urged Trump to revoke the memorandum the president issued last August, which called for the ban, until he and other government leaders could “implement appropriate policies.”
Advocates for transgender service members decried the announcement, but said it would mean little for the foreseeable future.
“The plan has no immediate effect, as four federal courts have already issued nationwide preliminary injunctions stopping [the] ban from moving forward,” said GLAD Legal Advocates and Defenders,” an advocacy group, in an announcement issued soon after the White House statement.
