Transgender personnel in the United States military

Transgender personnel in the United States military
Colonel Bree Fram, the highest-ranking and longest-serving openly transgender U.S. military officer, has served since 2003 and came out in 2016.
Albert Cashier, a Union Army soldier in the Civil War who was born Jennie Irene Hodgers
Legal Status
Current status	Banned from enlisting in and serving in the U.S. military, except under narrow waivers for those who have not undergone gender transition, have maintained stability in their biological sex for at least 36 consecutive months, serve in roles critical to warfighting capabilities, and are willing to adhere to all standards associated with their biological sex
Current law	Executive Order 14183 Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness
Previous laws	Executive Order 10450 Army Regulation 40-501: Standards of Medical Fitness Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 1332.14 – Enlisted Administrative Separations DoD Directive 1332.30 – Separation of Regular Commissioned Officers Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 6130.03 – Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction into the Military Services Directive-Type Memorandum (DTM) 16-005: Military Service of Transgender Service Members Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security Regarding Military Service by Transgender Individuals DoDI 1300.28: In-Service Transition for Transgender Service Members DTM-19-004: Military Service by Transgender Persons and Persons with Gender Dysphoria DoDI 1300.28: Military Service by Transgender Persons and Persons with Gender Dysphoria Executive Order on Enabling All Qualified Americans to Serve Their Country in Uniform DoDI 1300.28: In-Service Transition for Transgender Service Members DoDI 6130.03: Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction into the Military Services
Court cases	Talbott v. United States Doe v. Trump Human Rights Campaign Foundation & Lambda Legal v. Trump Karnoski v. Trump Stockman v. Trump
v t e

Transgender people have served or sought to serve in the United States military (U.S. military) throughout its history. As of May 8, 2025, transgender individuals are banned from enlisting in and serving in the U.S. military, except under narrow waivers for those who have not undergone gender transition, have maintained stability in their biological sex for at least 36 consecutive months, serve in roles critical to warfighting capabilities, and are willing to adhere to all standards associated with their biological sex.^[1] Transgender civilian employees at the DoD are not subject to the military ban.

Transgender troops who had already submitted voluntary separation requests prior to the nationwide preliminary injunction issued in the case of Shilling v. United States began to be discharged immediately on May 8, 2025.^[2] The memo further states that active-duty personnel have until June 6, 2025, to self-identify for voluntary separation, while members of the reserve forces have until July 7, 2025. After these deadlines, the military departments will initiate involuntary separation procedures.^[3]

Prior to 1960, there was no formal, explicit policy specifically targeting transgender individuals in the U.S. military, but they were effectively barred from service under broader medical and psychiatric disqualification standards. From 1960 until 2016, transgender individuals were formally banned from serving in the U.S. military.^[4] From 2016 to 2017, transgender individuals were allowed to serve openly.

From 2018 to 2019, and again from 2021 to 2025, they were allowed to both serve and enlist openly.^[5][6][7] From 2019 to 2021, transgender individuals were banned from enlisting in and serving in the U.S. military, except under narrow exceptions.

Individuals who had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and had already begun medical transition prior to April 12, 2019, were allowed to continue serving, and waivers were permitted on a case-by-case basis for individuals who had not transitioned, were stable in their birth sex, and could meet all standards associated with that sex.^[8][9]

From January 28 to March 27, 2025, the U.S. Navy began rejecting all transgender applicants. Across the rest of the U.S. Armed Forces, transgender enlistment and access to publicly funded gender-affirming surgeries were paused on February 7, 2025, and a full ban on transgender service was implemented on February 26, 2025. These restrictions were paused from March 27, when a nationwide preliminary injunction was issued in the Shilling case, to May 6, when the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the injunction. The ban is being appealed in the Ninth Circuit.^[10][11][12]

Unlike bisexuals, gays and lesbians with the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, transgender service and enlistment policies in the U.S. military are not codified in United States Code, which neither allows nor prohibits transgender service and enlistment. This legal ambiguity allows for frequent policy changes via administrative and executive directives, making it a recurring issue of political contention. This dynamic serves as an example of political football, where policies are frequently revised or reversed depending on the administration in power, with five major transgender U.S. military policy changes across four United States presidential administrations in less than a decade since June 30, 2016.^{[13][14][15][16][17]}