Reuters: Pentagon stops providing medical care to transgender soldiers

The Pentagon is stopping providing gender-affirming medical care to transgender service members as it implements President Donald Trumpʼs plan to expel them from the US Armed Forces.

This is stated in an official memo obtained by Reuters.

The Department of Defenseʼs orders prohibit any new hormone treatments, as well as surgical procedures, for transgender military personnel.

“I am directing you to take the necessary steps to implement these guidelines immediately,” Stephen Ferrara, acting assistant secretary of defense for health, wrote in the document.

On May 6, the US Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to enforce its ban on transgender service in the military. The ruling allows the military to discharge thousands of active-duty transgender service members and deny such recruits while legal proceedings are ongoing.

Shortly after, Reuters reported on a memorandum in which US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed to begin releasing transgender soldiers who do not decide to leave voluntarily by June 6. And on May 9, the Pentagon officially reported the start of the releases.

According to official figures, there are 4 240 transgender service members in the US regular army and National Guard. However, human rights activists say the number is higher. In total, about 2.1 million people serve in the military.

• Trump signed an executive order that revoked the right for transgender people to serve in the US Armed Forces immediately after his inauguration. Trump had already done so during his first term, but Joe Biden restored this right.

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