Donald Trump has signed an executive order clearing the way to reinstate a ban on trans service members in the military. The US President claimed the armed forces have been “afflicted with radical gender ideology to appease activists”, and mandated the Defense Department to update its requirements within 60 days.

The order, entitled ‘Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness’, aims to reinstate a policy from Trump’s first term, which former president Joe Biden previously rescinded. It states that transgender people don’t meet the “high standards” set for troops due to “medical, surgical, and mental health constraints”.

“Adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life,” it continues, adding that military service “must be reserved for those mentally and physically fit for duty”.

Trump is also mandating the Defense Department to end “invented and identification-based pronoun usage” and prohibit people assigned male at birth from using women’s sleeping, changing and bathing facilities.

At this point, it remains unclear if transgender soldiers currently serving will be ejected. As part of the 2017 restrictions, those who came out prior to the policy being introduced were exempt.

The prospective trans military ban has been criticised by several advocacy groups, with the Human Rights Campaign and Lambda Legal announcing their plans to sue the Trump administration.

 

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“Our military service members, including thousands of transgender troops, wear the same uniform, take the same oath, and meet the same rigorous standards. They are heroes who put their lives on the line to protect our country—and we owe them all a debt of gratitude” said Sarah Warbelow, Human Rights Campaign Vice President of Legal.

“Instead, this discriminatory ban insults their service and puts our national security at risk. Expelling highly trained members of our military undermines military readiness and wastes years of financial and training investments. It also needlessly upends the lives of families who have already sacrificed so much.

“The Commander-in-Chief should prioritize our military’s safety and readiness, not use his position to issue bans on entire groups of people. This order is unconstitutional, and we will see this administration in court,” Warbelow concluded.

Emily Shilling, a Commander in the United States Navy with more than 19 years of experience, shared: “I just want to continue serving, using the skills this nation invested in me as a fighter pilot and leader… For nearly two decades, I’ve upheld the highest standards of excellence, leading teams in combat and peace.

“All I ask is the opportunity to keep using my training and experience to serve this country with honor, courage, and dedication.”

In other executive orders signed on the same day, Monday, January 27, Trump targeted diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the military and reinstated thousands of troops who were expelled for refusing Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic.