London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

Trans People Can Now Openly Serve In The US Military And Get Gender-Affirming Medical Care

Trans People Can Now Openly Serve In The US Military And Get Gender-Affirming Medical Care

The new policies sweep away some of the last vestiges of the Trump administration's ban on transgender troops serving openly.

Pentagon officials announced new guidelines Wednesday allowing transgender people to enlist and serve freely in the US military, as well as receive gender-affirming medical care.

The new policies effectively sweep away some of the last vestiges of the Trump administration's ban on transgender troops serving openly.

John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wanted the military to recruit the best possible service members, regardless of their gender identity, and to reflect the diversity of the country it defends.

"We proudly recognize transgender and gender nonconforming people and their continuing struggle for a life of equality and dignity," Kirby told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday, which is International Transgender Day of Visibility.

In January, President Joe Biden signed two executive orders that reversed his predecessor's ban and directed the Pentagon to determine new, detailed guidelines.

Kirby said the new guidelines, which will go into effect in 30 days, prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, allow people to enlist under the gender with which they identify, protect the privacy of trans troops, and provide a path for trans service members to seek medical treatment for their transition.

Former president Donald Trump had previously justified his ban by saying that transgender people would leave the military “burdened with medical costs and disruption."

But Stephanie Miller, Pentagon director of military accession policy, told reporters she expected the healthcare costs to run a "handful of a million dollars per year."

"We're not anticipating with these changes of policy that there's going to be a significant impact in terms of cost," Miller said.

Miller said there were currently 2,200 active duty members who have received a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, but not all transgender people have received a diagnosis.

The new policy effectively reinstalls guidance issued when former president Barack Obama first lifted the ban on transgender troops in 2016.

Trump's ban — announced via a series of surprise tweets in 2017 — reversed that and immediately prompted a number of legal battles that delayed the full ban for almost two years. Under the policy, people could not enlist if they had transitioned from their "biological sex" to another gender, existing recruits could not transition while serving, and trans service members had to conform to uniform and fitness standards associated with their birth sex.

Navy Chief Petty Officer Melody Stachour is a representative from the transgender military service organization SPART*A, which said the new guidance was a "welcome reprieve."

Transgender veterans at Arlington National Cemetery in June 2018


"This policy provides much-needed clarity to our services members," said Stachour, "allowing them to complete their transitions in a timely fashion and quickly resume their day-to-day mission within our armed services."

Sarah Kate Ellis, president of LGBTQ media group GLAAD, also welcomed the guidelines.

"This will make our military more ready, more cohesive, and more equal," Ellis said.

Lieutenant Commander Blake Dremann, the former president of SPART*A, told BuzzFeed News it is the group's hope that Biden's early actions will give time for people both in and out of uniform to get used to transgender people serving openly.

"If it changes in 2024, it would give the idea that removing transgender troops would be as unconscionable as repealing President Truman's executive order to integrate the services," he said.

Dremann also said they want these new policies codified in law "so we don't have to go through this every time the administration changes hands."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×