The Pentagon is taking upwards of 1,000 military personnel who openly self-identify as transgender out of immediate service.
The separation began Thursday at the same time those who have yet to identify as transgender have been granted 30 days to remove themselves.
The Department of Defense (DOD) has also begun searching medical records to reveal others who haven’t come forward as it challenges the long-held establishment media narrative that some 15,000 transgender military personnel now serve.
For the last decade, the establishment media have touted advocates’ claims that 15,000 transgender people are serving in the U.S. military.
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 1, 2025
This week, the Pentagon revealed the actual population is less than 1/3 of that figure. https://t.co/JPocnMgNc3
These moves come on the back of Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to enforce a long-promised ban on transgender individuals in the military, as Breitbart News reported.
In a brief order, SCOTUS justices granted an emergency request to “lift a nationwide injunction blocking the policy.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who issued the latest memo confirming the separation action, made his views clear on X after the court’s decision, declaring “TRANS is out at the DOD:
After a SCOTUS victory for @POTUS, TRANS is out at the DOD. pic.twitter.com/4WkEhSS3dL
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) May 8, 2025
AP reports DOD officials have said it’s difficult to determine exactly how many transgender service members there are, but medical records will show those who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, who show symptoms or are being treated.
Officials have said that as of Dec. 9, 2024, there were 4,240 troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria in the active duty, National Guard and Reserve. But they acknowledge the number may be higher.
There are about 2.1 million total troops serving.
A Rasmussen Reports survey conducted between January 29-30 and February 2 of 1,325 likely voters found that 54 percent of likely U.S. voters approve of Trump’s executive order to ban transgender troops from military service, including 38 percent who strongly approve of the policy.
Breitbart News reported the survey found that 41 percent disapprove of discharging transgender military service members, along with 30 percent who strongly disapprove of the policy.
