Washington: The Pentagon has announced a halt to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender troops as part of a broader plan to expel them from the U.S. military, according to a memo obtained by Reuters on Monday.
“I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance,” Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, instructed in the memo.
Questions about the decision were directed to the Defense Health Agency, which has yet to respond to a request for comment.
The memo follows a previous report by Reuters revealing that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the Pentagon to begin expelling transgender troops who do not voluntarily leave by June 6.
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This move is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to swiftly implement a ban on transgender servicemembers, a policy that was made possible by a Supreme Court ruling just last week, which cleared the way for the ban to take effect.
According to official estimates, there are approximately 4,240 transgender troops currently serving in the U.S. military, including both active-duty and National Guard personnel. However, advocates for transgender rights have put forward higher estimates.
