Hegseth sets deadline for transgender troops to self-identify for voluntary separation from military

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday night set the deadline for active-duty transgender troops to self-identify for voluntary separation from the military to June 6, and said reservists must do the same by July 7.

The first deadline is one month after the Supreme Court issued its ruling that allows the Trump administration to establish and enforce the ban, which stems from President Donald Trump's executive order stating that "expressing a false 'gender identity' divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service."

The Pentagon said that approximately 1,000 service members in the military already identify as having gender dysphoria, and will begin the voluntary separation process.

"In accordance with policy now reinstated, service members who have a current diagnosis or history of or exhibit symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria may elect to separate voluntarily," Hegseth said.

The secretary added that those who do not agree to leave voluntarily by the deadline could be removed involuntarily.

"The Secretary is encouraged by the Supreme Court's order staying the lower court's injunction, allowing the Department of Defense to carry out its policies associated with 'Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,'" Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.