Overview

• The Department of Defense has issued guidance for separating transgender service members using health screenings and medical record reviews.
• Active-duty personnel must self-identify by June 6, 2025, while reserve members face a July 7 deadline, or risk involuntary separation.
• The Supreme Court recently lifted injunctions blocking the ban, allowing its full enforcement despite ongoing legal challenges in lower courts.
• House Republicans introduced the Readiness Over Wokeness Act to make the ban permanent and expand its scope to disqualify individuals with gender dysphoria or those who received gender-affirming care.
• Advocacy groups and legal experts criticize the policy as discriminatory, highlighting its impact on thousands of transgender troops and broader military cohesion.