Transgender service members now have between 30 and 60 days to voluntarily separate from the U.S. military following a Supreme Court ruling that allowed the Trump administration’s ban on transgender troops to take effect. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the move in a Thursday memo.
“After a SCOTUS victory for @POTUS, TRANS is out at the DOD,” Hegseth posted on X, along with a video laying out the new deadline.
The Pentagon estimates that roughly 1,000 active-duty troops currently identify as having gender dysphoria. According to the new guidance, active-duty personnel must leave by June 6, while reservists have until July 7 to begin the separation process.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the Department of Defense was “encouraged” by the Supreme Court’s decision to lift the lower court’s injunction. That decision cleared the way for the administration’s policies to proceed under the name “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.”
Hegseth stated that transgender troops can opt for voluntary separation during the window provided. Those who do not comply by the deadline, he said, will be removed involuntarily if necessary.
The Supreme Court ruling did not weigh in on the constitutionality of the ban itself but allowed enforcement of Trump’s January 27 executive order, which bars transgender individuals from serving in the armed forces based on their gender identity.
Trump officials have argued that the policy promotes unit cohesion, discipline, and readiness while reducing costs. Between 2016 and 2021, the military spent approximately $15 million on gender-related treatments for nearly 1,900 service members, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The administration’s ban reverses a 2014 policy under President Barack Obama that allowed transgender individuals to serve openly. Hegseth’s directive follows a broader effort to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the military.
In April, Hegseth said that 99.9% of DEI-related programs had been eliminated and that new combat fitness standards would require men and women to meet the same performance benchmarks.