Transgender military service involves evolving policies and support systems. This article examines current regulations, eligibility criteria, medical care, and historical shifts.
Understanding Current Military Policy
As of May 8, 2025, U.S. military policies generally prohibit transgender individuals from enlisting and serving, except under specific waiver conditions. This stance marks a significant shift from the Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 1300.28, updated in April 2021 to permit open service. However, recent directives, including a February 2025 memo, have reversed many of those provisions. The current policy disqualifies individuals with a diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria, or those exhibiting consistent symptoms, including new applicants. This reverses the 2021 DoDI 1300.28, which allowed service members to transition while serving.
Navigating Service Eligibility
Current policy outlines specific eligibility criteria for transgender individuals. Individuals who have undergone medical transition, including hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries, are generally disqualified from service. Waivers are available on a case-by-case basis but are highly restrictive. To be considered, an individual must demonstrate 36 consecutive months of stability in their biological sex without distress or impairment, confirm they have never attempted to transition, and be willing to adhere to all standards associated with their biological sex. If a waiver is not granted, service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria face separation from the military.
Healthcare and Support Systems
Healthcare and support systems for transgender service members have recently undergone significant changes. A February 2025 memo initiated a pause on “all unscheduled, scheduled or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition.” Department of Defense funding will no longer be used for certain medical procedures related to gender transition, such as sex reassignment surgery, genital reconstruction surgery, or newly initiated cross-sex hormone therapy for gender dysphoria. TRICARE, the military healthcare program, previously covered some services for gender dysphoria, like hormone therapy and psychological counseling, though surgery was generally not covered. However, the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act cut TRICARE coverage for gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and puberty blockers, for military dependents under 18.
A Look at Policy Evolution
Policy regarding transgender individuals in the U.S. military has experienced multiple significant shifts. Before 2016, a longstanding ban prevented openly transgender individuals from serving, often under broader medical or psychological disqualification standards. This changed in June 2016, when the Obama administration lifted the ban, allowing transgender individuals to serve openly.
This period of inclusion was short-lived, as the Trump administration announced a reversal in July 2017, leading to a new ban effective April 2019. This policy largely disqualified individuals with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria or those who had undergone medical transition. In January 2021, the Biden administration again reversed the ban, enabling qualified transgender individuals to serve openly. However, policies enacted in early 2025 have once more introduced significant restrictions on transgender military service.