U.S. Army Enforces Ban on Transgender Recruits and Halts Gender-Affirming Care

The policy follows an executive order from President Trump, citing military readiness and unit cohesion as key justifications.

The U.S. Army announced it will no longer allow transgender individuals to join and will suspend all gender-affirming medical procedures for service members.
The decision stems from a January 27 executive order by President Trump, which argues that transgender identity conflicts with military standards and readiness.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo enforcing the policy, including pausing new accessions for individuals with gender dysphoria and requiring housing based on sex assigned at birth.
The move has sparked legal challenges, with lawsuits citing violations of equal protection rights and potential harm to transgender service members' careers and health care access.
Critics, including Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups, argue the policy undermines military effectiveness and contradicts studies showing no negative impact from transgender service members.