By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, Reuters
President Donald Trump's administration intends to swiftly act to remove thousands of transgender service members. Photo: 123RF
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued internal instructions to the Pentagon to start kicking out transgender troops who do not elect to leave on their own by 6 June, according to a memo obtained by Reuters.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The decision was immediately condemned by transgender rights activists contacted by Reuters.
"It is just shameful," said Jennifer Levi, a senior director at the pro-LGBTQ legal group GLAD Law.
"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."
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP
Hegseth's memo illustrates how President Donald Trump's administration intends to swiftly act to remove thousands of transgender service members after the Supreme Court's ruling on Tuesday cleared the way for a ban to take effect.
In the memo, Hegseth said active duty transgender troops could identify themselves for "voluntary separation" from the US armed forces until 6 June. Troops who are in the reserve forces had until 7 July.
"On conclusion of the self-identification eligibility window, the Military Departments will initiate involuntary separation processes," the memo said.
The Pentagon's ban is just one of a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to curb transgender rights.
Trump signed an executive order in January after returning to the presidency that reversed a policy implemented under his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden that had allowed transgender troops to serve openly in the American armed forces.
Biden said at the time that "America is safer when everyone qualified to serve can do so openly and with pride."
As of late last year there were 4240 US active-duty and National Guard transgender troops, officials have said. Transgender rights advocates have given higher estimates.
-Reuters
