Trans People in The Military

The topic of transgender persons serving in the military has been a matter of contention for many years. Over time, policies regarding trans military service have changed, often reflecting fluctuating societal views. For many years, transgender individuals were not allowed to serve openly in the United States military. They faced systemic discrimination based on their gender identity or were forced to live with the gender that aligns with their biological sex. Eventually, as people became more educated about transgender persons and the challenges they faced, attitudes changed. Additionally, policymakers began to recognize that transgender folks were just as capable of making important contributions in uniform as anybody else.

Upon taking office in 2025, 47 signed multiple executive orders, many of which were direct attacks on the transgender community. Unfortunately, this includes what will likely become a ban on military service for transgender individuals. In this order, 47 states that individuals with gender dysphoria are not fit for service. 

He falsely claims that troops who identify with a gender other than what aligns with their biological sex assigned at birth are in conflict with their obligation to live moral, disciplined, lives. 47 goes on to further state that transgender troops are a danger to military readiness. He has ordered controversial Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to update Pentagon policy to reflect this EO.  This order is already being challenged in the courts, and has been met with harsh criticism. 

In this post, we will explore why it’s important to support trans military service personnel – both for the benefit of the service members and the armed forces. We’ll also discuss why advocating for the rights of these individuals is so important, and how a military environment that is safe and affirming for all is imperative to national security.

History of Transgender People in The Military

At first, the Department of Defense military policy for transgender soldiers was influenced by social attitudes, thoughts on military readiness, and the views of medical professionals at the time. For most of the 20th century, transgender persons were not allowed to serve. The policies in place reflected systemic discrimination against members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In the middle of the 20th century, gender dysphoria was considered to be a psychiatric disorder. This was used to further justify excluding transgender personnel from US military service. Transgender adults were categorized as unfit due to medical or psychiatric reasons.

Some action was taken in the 1990s and 2000s that may have been intended to reduce discrimination, but in reality only served to further isolate transgender military service members and others in the queer community. The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was implemented in 1993. This replaced an outright ban on lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members. However, it required them to conceal their sexuality or they might be discharged. Not only did this policy not improve things, it did not address transgender individuals directly.

How The Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Impacted Transgender Soldiers

Don’t ask, don’t tell was officially repealed in 2011. However, this did not mean that transgender people could serve. They were still excluded as gender dysphoria was considered to be a disqualifying mental illness.

What the repeal did do was create a cultural shift. It led to wider acceptance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals in the military, and opened the door to more intelligent conversations about the challenges faced by transgender personnel, and paved the way for advocacy on behalf of transgender persons.

Ultimately, the repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell set the foundation upon which a new DOD policy was established in 2016. This allowed transgender people to serve openly and obtain necessary healthcare. In 2017, the first sex reassignment surgery was approved for an active duty service member by the Defense Health Agency. Repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell may not have directly helped transgender soldiers in 2010, but it did demonstrate that an inclusive military was a strong military.

Challenges After Transgender Military Service Policy Change

Even though they were now allowed to serve openly, transgender persons still faced challenges. Many were impacted by harassment, bullying, and discrimination for their identities. Being allowed in the military did not guarantee freedom from stigma. Bias and misinformation caused many transgender individuals to struggle with integration into their assigned units. Additionally, not every person in leadership positions had the same understanding or willingness to abide by new policy. Transgender personnel often had inconsistent experiences depending on their assignments.

Some service members expressed hostility and fear towards transgender people. Many were misgendered, harassed, or worse. Often, these incidents were underreported as military culture made transgender soldiers feel pressured to stay silent.

Access to Medical Treatment

Military policy allowed transgender individuals to access gender affirming care like hormone therapy or surgery. Unfortunately, transgender soldiers weren’t always able to access these. For example, transgender personnel might face:

• Roadblocks in the chain of command in getting medical treatment approved
• Limited availability of military medical staff qualified to provide such care
• Transfers and deployments making it difficult to maintain continuity of care
• Refusal by medical staff to diagnose or acknowledge a diagnosis of gender dysphoria

Mental Health Challenges

Transgender personnel continue to face issues that include increased stress due to:

• Shifting policies
• Stigma and Harassment
• Frustration at having to educate superiors and peers about their rights and identities

Transgender service members often report feeling afraid, isolated, and stressed as they face challenges relating to military life and social stressors.

Career Impacts

Transgender troops still face roadblocks to career advancement. There’s a lack of representation of transgender persons in leadership roles. That lack of visibility means a lack of mentors and role models. There are also fewer transgender people in top positions to adequately understand the barriers these soldiers face.

Further, there is a lack of access to training that addresses transgender issues. Transgender persons serving may be subjected to misunderstandings, poor leadership decisions, and microaggressions.

Administrative Issues

Transgender individuals may face challenges in updating their gender identity markers and names on official paperwork. This can lead to delays in obtaining promotions, make deployments more challenging than they already are, or cause delays in obtaining healthcare. Additionally, transgender soldiers who were previously discharged under the transgender ban often struggled to be approved for reentry or have their military service records updated to reflect an honorable discharge.

Recent Shifts in DOD Policy For Transgender People

After his inauguration in 2017, 45/47 indicated that he would ban transgender people from military service. The policy banning transgender individuals from the armed forces went into effect in 2019. This impacted individuals who were diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and those living as the opposite gender or a different gender from the one they were assigned at birth. Transgender people were only allowed to stay in service, according to a Pentagon memo if they had been,

“stable for 36 consecutive months in their biological sex prior to accession,” servicemembers who “do not require a change of gender” and troops who started serving under the Obama administration’s policy prior to the new memo.

President Biden reversed this ban after he was elected. Transgender people were allowed to serve openly, and those who had been banned were allowed to return to the reserves or active duty.

A Summary of The Current Department of Defense Policy For Transgender Individuals

Currently, the Department of Defense allows trans people to serve openly as the gender they identify with. As long as they meet standards for military service, they cannot be denied reenlistment or involuntarily discharged. They may pursue gender transition while they serve, and must have access to medical care. This includes hormone therapy, and in some cases, sex reassignment surgery. At the same time, they must also meet the physical fitness standards of their identified gender. Denial of reenlistment may only occur if those standards are not met. The Assistant Secretary of Defense is the one who oversees these policies with the goals of ensuring fairness to those transition genders as well as ensuring unit readiness. All of this is in addition to existing policies that state that neither sexual orientation or biological sex are criteria for eligibility.

“The Department will immediately take appropriate policy action to ensure individuals who identify as transgender are eligible to enter and serve in their self-identified gender. These changes will ensure no one will be separated or discharged, or denied reenlistment, solely on the basis of gender identity. Prospective recruits may serve in their self-identified gender when they have met the appropriate standards for accession into the military services. This revised policy will also ensure all medically-necessary transition related care authorized by law is available to all Service members and will re-examine all cases of transgender Service members that may be in some form of adverse administrative proceedings. ” – Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III statement on the rights and abilities of transgender people to serve or enlist in the military.

Impacts After Transgender People Could Serve Openly

The harmful ban implemented by 45/47 led to many people who had been serving honorably to be discharged from the military. Even though this discrimination based policy was reversed, transgender adults didn’t face an easy road. Here are some of the things they faced, both good and bad:

• Military members who had been discharged could reenlist as long as they met military standards for service including physical fitness.
• Transgender adults impacted by military separation had to go through the standard processes for reenlistment
• Gender dysphoria was no longer considered a disqualifying condition
• Service members could receive gender-affirming care
• A service member could seek to have their discharge updated under this policy reversal
• Discharge upgrades were not done automatically. Those with general or other than honorable discharges may not be able to receive certain military or veteran’s benefits
• Advocacy groups were available to help discharged personnel obtain discharge upgrades even when they were denied entry into the military again
• Individuals who had their military discharge records amended could seek healthcare benefits and medically necessary care through the VA
• Some counseling and other support for reintegration was given to those who reenlisted
• The department of defense implemented mandatory training to promote better understanding of transgender service members and ensure fair treatment of transgender soldiers

Acknowledging Past Harm

While it was great that transgender women, men, and nonbinary people could serve, there weren’t many meaningful attempts to address the harm that was done. For example, someone who was presumptively disqualified from service under Trump may have missed out on training opportunities or enlistment bonuses. Transgender people were not compensated by the military for lost pay and benefits even if they were allowed to serve again. While some have taken legal action to recoup what they lost, this highlights the lasting damage of discrimination based executive policies against individuals with gender dysphoria.

Ongoing Debates About Transgender People in The Military

There is still debate about whether people who are transgender should be allowed to serve openly in the armed forces or at all. Some of this has been fed by the use of trans issues as culture war fodder. Those who want to portray active duty military members as predatory or attention-seeking will claim the US military is falling prey to a “woke” agenda.

Others attempt to couch their bigotry in concern over unit readiness, the cost of medical treatments such as gender reassignment surgery, or perceived unfairness – to ban transgender individuals from the service. The reality is that gender transition is treated the same way as any other necessary medical treatment where the needs of the person undergoing in service transition to their identified gender is balanced with the needs of the unit.

The Benefits of a Trans-Inclusive Military

The armed forces are better off when active duty and reserve forces are genuinely inclusive.

Diversity And Strength in Military Service

Diversity in all forms contributes to a military that is adaptive and resilient. Take a look at how that plays out:

Better Innovation And Problem Solving

Transgender people don’t just bring demographic diversity to the table, but also experiential. They contribute to diverse teams with a wider range of experiences and perspectives, which leads to adaptability and creative problem solving. Other service members and the military as a whole benefit from this.

Transgender individuals have navigated unique challenges, developed resilience, and learned to be adaptable. All of these skills are essential for a successful service member.

Better Unit Cohesion And Leadership

Although there may be challenges at first, an inclusive environment fosters trust and camaraderie by focusing on each member’s valuable contributions. When individuals feel respected and included, morale improves, enhancing readiness.

When military leaders unequivocally support transgender troops they demonstrate strong ethical principles, fairness, and empathy – principles that ripple throughout military culture and promote higher military standards. This creates a culture of mutual respect where each person is able to serve with dignity. As teams bond through mutual respect they perform better under pressure.

Recruitment And Retention Benefits

45/47’s ban of transgender individuals came at a time when the military service was struggling with recruitment and retention. The exclusion, denied reenlistment, and involuntary separation of individuals with gender dysphoria caused real harm. Simply put, the Department of Defense needs more individuals in military service, not fewer. By allowing transgender individuals to serve, the military achieves a broader pool of talent, including highly skilled transgender adults who would be otherwise unable to openly serve.

When the military retains talented, transgender military service members, it maintains operational readiness, and saves money. Even when a service member can be replaced, that process takes time. The military loses out on the money spent to train the trans service member, and must spend even more recruiting and training a replacement. If a replacement can’t be found, the rest of the unit suffers.

Examples of Resilience

There’s more to making a successful military than physical readiness. Culture is key. Transgender people have often demonstrated resilience in overcoming adversity. This can serve as an example to strengthen military culture. Additionally a military that is free from discrimination based exclusion exemplifies core values of honor and integrity.

Transgender people often demonstrate personal resilience in overcoming adversity and discrimination. This individual resilience can strengthen the overall military culture.

Cultural Competence And Social Values Alignment

A capable and ready military is able to engage respectfully with diverse populations all over the world. Part of that must include having gender diverse individuals in the ranks. This allows the military to improve diplomatic efforts, and have better interactions with communities, during coalition, and peacekeeping missions.

Also, despite some backlash, there is widespread support for individuals with gender dysphoria. If the military wants to continue to attract people to serve, inclusion is a must. Without that, the service will seem outdated, out of touch, and culturally irrelevant.

Helping Trans Service Members Overcome Challenges

Transgender military service members face a variety of challenges. Here are the obstacles they face along with ways in which they can be addressed.

Healthcare And Medical Treatment

It can be difficult for service members to access gender-affirming care while serving in the armed forces. It can be an uphill battle to obtain comprehensive medical care to address their unique needs. Often, individuals with gender dysphoria require hormone therapy or other treatments, including sex reassignment surgery to help affirm their gender identity. Unfortunately, there may be limited resources and inconsistent policy that create barriers to care. For example, they may not have access to medical experts who are familiar with gender transition or able to provide necessary health care.

Both reserve and active duty members deserve equitable health care. This isn’t just for their well-being, but also for enhancing readiness. When people are allowed to obtain hormone therapy and other treatments to live as their preferred gender, they are better able to serve effectively. This contributes to a stronger military overall.

Fortunately, there has been progress. Branches of the military, including the Air Force and Marine Corps have implemented policies that support gender-affirming care. This includes hormone therapy and some surgeries. By making these options more available, individuals with gender dysphoria feel less stress and anxiety. This enables these transgender adults to focus their energies on their military service obligations.

For an example of successful implementation of supportive guidelines, just look at the Obama administration. Under his leadership, transgender personnel could pursue gender transition without fear of involuntary separation. Under these policies, military medical providers had to offer care that matched what was available to civilians – ensuring that service members received proper care.

The Palm Center of San Francisco published a research brief that highlighted how these inclusive policies improved wellbeing and readiness. These documents also showed the harmful impacts of exclusion.

Stigma And Discrimination

Transgender service members still encounter prejudice and hatred. Misunderstandings and deliberate bigotry related to gender identity and sexual orientation lead to stereotyping and cause a hostile atmosphere. This has a negative impact on morale and mental health leaving trans personnel less able to execute their duties effectively.

The solution lies with leadership in the armed forces. They must create and enforce policy to create an inclusive work environment for all. This includes spearheading initiatives such as diversity, equity, and inclusion training for all service members. This top down approach helps to foster an environment where each person is respected no matter their biological sex or identified gender.

Lack of Education And Training

Many of the roadblocks adult women and men in the military face are caused by lack of training and education. As they transition genders, these service members have to navigate people who don’t understand transgender policy or even which policies are in place. For example, consider access to gender specific spaces on military bases. Trans military service members are allowed to use facilities that align with their gender identity, but could be wrongly disciplined for doing so if their leadership doesn’t fully understand these policies.

The military must take on the work of educating troops about gender identity, policies relating to that, and the process of gender transition. This will dispel misconceptions and allay fears while fostering empathy and respect. Leadership must be educated on how to support trans service members, and how to apply policy correctly.

This training is important considering that many still hold the outdated beliefs that gender diverse individuals are presumptively disqualified from serving effectively. When a military medical provider affirms a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, training can answer questions leadership has on how to provide support for the individuals in service transition while also ensuring the best interests of the unit.

Transgender service members must also be educated. There are policies they have to follow in order to remain in good standing and continue to meet qualifications for continued enlistment/commission. For example, if they plan to transition to the opposite gender, they must meet physical readiness and uniform standards that apply to their identified gender within a given time frame.

An Uncertain But Not Hopeless Future

Transgender people in the military likely face an uncertain future. The incoming administration has engaged in much fear mongering, using dishonest rhetoric about trans people. The reality is that military policies may change to reflect this bigotry. To combat this, trans folks and their allies will need to leverage activism, resistance, and legal action. Fortunately, there are qualified people who understand defense policy and are willing to act to protect the rights of these troops.

Here are some actions that people can take to support transgender members of the military and resist if a ban is reintroduced by the incoming administration.

Preemptively Advocate For Change

This is a good time to contact lawmakers. Write or call representatives at the state and national levels to state opposition to any ban or other policy changes that would negatively impact trans service members. Encourage them to support legislation that ensures equality.

Keep in mind that pro-LGBTQIA+ laws and policies don’t just protect civilians. Many apply broadly including to those who serve in the military.

Support LGBTQIA+ Organizations

Money talks. Donate to advocacy organizations, especially those that directly work in support of members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and respective reserves. These include The Modern Military Association of America and SPARTA.

These organizations also need volunteers. Offer your time, service, and expertise for activist and fundraising efforts.

Educate Yourself

The most effective advocacy is built on education and understanding. If you want to support the continued inclusion of people with gender dysphoria in the military, you must come to the table with a baseline of knowledge.

Start by educating yourself on key concepts and policies. Do you understand gender identity and how it differs from biological sex? Can you explain that to another person who may have fears and prejudices coming from lack of education or understanding? What about gender dysphoria? Can you speak to the nuances of identified gender, biological sex, and sexual orientation?

In addition to being better able to interact with those who oppose inclusive policies, your understanding will allow you to be a better source of support for men, women, and nonbinary people in the military. Many of these folks are struggling with gender dysphoria, a mismatch between their gender identity and physical characteristics. As an advocate, you must understand how the terms you use can support their personal identity and show respect for their preferred gender.

Next, familiarize yourself with policy on transgender service. This will allow you to compare current Department of Defense policies on gender dysphoria, sex reassignment surgery, hormone therapy, gender identity, etc. with future policy changes.

Finally, be self-aware. Even those who support transgender rights can struggle with implicit bias or lack understanding.

Build Awareness

Bigotry is often driven by lack of understanding. There have been extensive efforts to fear mongers and cause division by spreading patently false information about transgender people. Combat this by sharing information about the positive contributions transgender military members have made, and how discriminatory policies impact them. Use social media to amplify these stories and as a platform to call others to action.

Be a Public Face of Support

Effective advocacy must be public. Take part in rallies and protests in support of trans rights for members of the military. Sign petitions against discriminatory policies. Show up.

Be a Source of Direct Support

If you know a trans person in the military, reach out to them. Let them know you support them, and ask how you can advocate for them directly. Learn about mental health resources for transgender service members and their families. Donate money to these organizations.

Know The Stakeholders

Many people and organizations are responsible for making and enforcing these policies. These include:

• The President and Vice President
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Assistant Secretary of Defense
• The Under Secretary of Defense
• Military branch leadership
• DoD general counsel
• Federal courts
• Congress
• The Defense Health Agency
• Inspector General
• Advocacy Organizations
• Transgender men, women, and nonbinary troops and prospective recruits

Learn the role each plays in this so you know who to contact with your concerns. Also, it’s important to understand that no single person or agency has unlimited power here.

Take Part in Legal Resistance

If the incoming administration reinstates a ban, there will be legal challenges. Organizations like the ACLU will challenge these policies in court. Your donations are extraordinarily important here.

Also, stay up to date on upcoming litigation. Follow lawsuits, and show support for the resistance.

It will take a combination of legislative action, grassroots, advocacy, and personal support to resist policies that discriminate while uplifting transgender military members.

Ongoing Support For an Ongoing Battle

If the military is going to be an institution that fosters equality, transgender inclusion must be part of that. This means recognizing diverse gender identities while upholding principles of justice and fairness. Military service is ideally a meritocracy where dedication, ability, and performance drive success – not gender identity or biological sex.

When transgender individuals are excluded because of misconceptions about gender dysphoria or prejudices about preferred gender, that damages the military’s mission of maintaining a force that is best able to maintain national security.

There is precedence to this. For example, women have faced similar challenges in their efforts to be treated equally in the armed forces. Their integration, including the ability for women to serve in combat roles shows that inclusion strengthens the military. This happened, despite claims that it would be bad for morale or unit cohesion. The same was proven again when the military stopped discriminating against recruits based on their sexual orientation.

To be on the right side of history, these principles must apply to transgender individuals. Gender dysphoria should not be a barrier to service, nor should sexual orientation or gender identity. By allowing these individuals to have the opportunity to serve, the military stands as an example of the power of inclusivity.

Policies must recognize and respect the preferred gender identities of people in the armed forces, even when they don’t align with biological sex. But, that’s only the beginning. The military must provide healthcare services and support to those with gender dysphoria. Because, all service members deserve to live and work in a healthy, supportive environment.

Inclusion is not about giving people with gender dysphoria special treatment. Instead, it is giving them a fair chance to serve their country. Ultimately, transgender inclusion strengthens the military and the nation.