In a major setback for LGBTQ rights, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to remove what he called “transgender ideology” from the military.
Trump also demanded the creation of a US version of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system during a series of military-related statements aboard Air Force One.
The executive orders increased efforts to end diversity programs in the military and reinstated service personnel who had been fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.
At a Republican congressional retreat in Miami, Trump said, “We will get transgender ideology the hell out of our military to ensure we have the most lethal fighting force in the world.”
Trump, who had previously banned transgender soldiers, reaffirmed his opposition to gender diversity recognition. He stated in his directive that “many mental and physical health conditions are incompatible with active duty” and that the military had been “afflicted with radical gender ideology to appease activists.”
According to the order, “A soldier’s dedication to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in personal life, conflicts with adopting a gender identity inconsistent with one’s sex.”
It went on to say, “The humility and selflessness expected of a service member are incompatible with a man’s claim that he is a woman and the demand that others respect this lie.”
Diversity initiatives in the military were condemned in a different directive, which claimed they “erode leadership, merit, and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness.” Additionally, it outlawed debates about “gender ideology” and called theories that the founding texts of the United States are racist or sexist “un-American.”
The directives came as Trump’s second week in the White House was getting underway, and his newly chosen defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, was being welcomed at the Pentagon. Despite reservations about his lack of expertise and misbehavior claims, Fox News star and military veteran Hegseth was confirmed.
“Mr. President, thank you for your leadership. We’ll carry out the execution! On X, Hegseth said.
In recent years, transgender Americans have encountered shifting military rules. Trump has frequently attempted to keep them out of office, while Democratic administrations have advocated for their open service.
President Barack Obama eased the US military’s prohibition on transgender service members in 2016, but during his first term, Trump postponed and eventually revoked the policy. After assuming office in 2021, President Joe Biden restored inclusive policies.
Even though transgender soldiers make up a relatively small portion of the US military—roughly 15,000 out of over two million personnel—their expulsion would put additional pressure on recruitment efforts as enlistment rates continue to drop.
