Pentagon to Begin Removing Transgender Troops by June 6, Memo Reveals
Washington, May 8 – The U.S. military is preparing to begin discharging transgender troops starting June 6, according to a newly leaked internal memo signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The directive, obtained by Reuters, outlines a timeline for voluntary separation, followed by mandatory dismissals, a move that marks a dramatic reversal of previous Pentagon policy and a renewed front in America’s ongoing culture war.
The memo lays out a clear deadline: active-duty transgender service members have until June 6 to voluntarily identify for separation. Those serving in the reserve components have until July 7. Once these windows close, the military will begin involuntary separation procedures.
“The Military Departments will initiate involuntary separation processes,” Hegseth wrote, emphasizing swift compliance with the new policy that follows a green light from the Supreme Court earlier this week.
Backlash Swift and Fierce
LGBTQ advocacy groups and civil rights leaders responded immediately and angrily
to the news.
“It is just shameful,” said Jennifer Levi, Senior Director at GLAD Law, a leading LGBTQ legal advocacy organization. “It is senseless to fast-track people out of the military who are meeting standards and putting lives on the line to defend the country.”
Critics argue that the policy targets loyal service members not for performance but for identity, undoing nearly a decade of gradual progress toward inclusion.
Transgender individuals were first allowed to serve openly in the military under President Barack Obama in 2016. That progress was reaffirmed by President Joe Biden, who overturned Donald Trump’s 2017 ban and championed inclusive military service as a national security strength.
“America is safer when everyone qualified to serve can do so openly and with pride,” Biden declared in 2021.
A Culture War Flashpoint
Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and vocal conservative, has quickly become the face of the Pentagon’s shift away from diversity and inclusion policies. Speaking at a recent U.S. Special Operations conference, Hegseth didn’t hold back:
“No more pronouns, no more climate-change obsessions, no more emergency vaccine mandates, no more dudes in dresses,” he said to applause.
His comments reflect a broader ideological pivot within the Department of Defense under the current administration. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating that the U.S. government would only recognize two sexes, male and female, asserting they are not changeable.
This military policy shift appears to be part of a coordinated effort to roll back transgender protections across federal institutions.
Public Opinion Divided
According to a Gallup poll published in February, 58% of Americans support allowing openly transgender people to serve in the military. However, that number has fallen sharply from 71% in 2019, revealing a growing divide over gender identity issues in public service.
As of late last year, official estimates indicated that roughly 4,240 transgender individuals were actively serving in the U.S. military or National Guard. Advocates believe the true number is likely higher.
With the June deadline approaching, service members are now left with an impossible choice: out themselves and leave voluntarily, or await forced separation.
One thing is clear—this policy is poised to send shockwaves not just through the military ranks, but through the heart of America’s debate on identity, inclusion, and who gets to serve.
