The US Army has announced that it will no longer permit transgender individuals to enlist and will suspend procedures related to gender transition for current service members. The new policy, which is effective immediately, halts all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria and pauses all medical procedures aimed at facilitating or affirming gender transitions.
The US Army made the announcement in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The #USArmy will no longer allow transgender individuals to join the military and will stop performing or facilitating procedures associated with gender transition for service members. Stay tuned for more details.”
In addition, the Army clarified, “Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures related to gender transition for service members are also paused.”
This move follows a broader military policy shift initiated by US President Donald Trump, who last month signed four executive orders aimed at reshaping military policy. One of these orders includes a ban on transgender service members in the US armed forces. In a statement, the US Army emphasized that individuals with gender dysphoria who had already volunteered to serve would continue to be treated with dignity and respect.
Trump’s executive orders, signed on January 27, 2025, aim to reinstate military policies from his first term, including banning transgender individuals from military service and reinstating troops who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination. These actions were signed while Trump was aboard Air Force One during his return to Washington from Florida.
In 2017, during his first administration, Trump had implemented a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. However, his successor, former President Joe Biden, repealed the ban in 2021, allowing transgender people to serve openly. Shortly after taking office as the 47th US President, Trump signed an executive order reversing Biden’s 2021 policy and reinstating the military’s previous stance on transgender service members.
