An internal memo from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has set the stage for a significant policy shift within the armed forces, as the military prepares to start discharging transgender service members who do not voluntarily separate by June 6. This directive marks the latest move by the Trump administration to reshape military personnel policies concerning transgender individuals, following a Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for implementation of the ban.

According to the memo, active duty transgender troops are encouraged to identify for "voluntary separation" until the June deadline, while reserve forces have until July 7 to make that determination. After this identification window closes, the respective Military Departments will initiate involuntary separation processes for those who remain.

Critics have quickly condemned the decision, arguing that it is illogical to remove capable service members who meet military standards and bravely fulfill their duties. The memo underscores the administration's intent to swiftly execute a policy that may displace thousands of transgender individuals currently serving in the military, a move that advocates argue undermines the progress made in recent years regarding transgender rights within the armed forces.

The ban is emblematic of a series of actions taken by the Trump administration aimed at limiting the rights of transgender individuals. On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order asserting that the U.S. government recognizes only two sexes—male and female—effectively nullifying the possibility of gender identity recognition.

The push to restrict transgender service members has been a hallmark of Trump’s agenda since his campaign, directly reversing the policies introduced under his predecessor, President Joe Biden. Under Biden's leadership, transgender troops were allowed to serve openly, a significant shift from prior military practices. In 2021, Biden articulated that “America is safer when everyone qualified to serve can do so openly and with pride.”

The policy change traces its roots to a 2016 decision by former President Barack Obama, who first permitted transgender individuals to serve freely in the military. As of late last year, estimates indicated that around 4,240 transgender individuals were serving in active duty and National Guard roles, although advocates assert that actual numbers may be even higher.

In his memo, Hegseth detailed that the military would move to discharge any transgender troops who had already expressed intentions to separate voluntarily prior to a recent court ruling that had stalled earlier attempts to implement the ban.

Public support for transgender individuals serving in the military has been a contentious topic, illustrated by a Gallup poll from February revealing that while 58% of Americans favored allowing openly transgender individuals to serve, this figure had declined from 71% in 2019, suggesting shifting public sentiment amidst ongoing debates.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host who has taken a firm stance on conservative cultural issues, has publicly denounced diversity initiatives within the Pentagon. Speaking at a recent conference for U.S. special operations forces, he further advocated against what he described as “wokeness” within the military, stating, “No more pronouns, no more climate-change obsessions, no more emergency vaccine mandates, no more dudes in dresses."

As the military gears up to enforce this controversial policy, the implications for both the troops involved and the wider societal discourse on gender identity and service remain profound and far-reaching.