A secret response to a mysterious Pentagon memo has surfaced. The Pentagon’s new transgender policy, authorized by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was unveiled in a memo submitted as an exhibit file by the Defense Department in a separate court case challenging Trump’s directive. The memo stipulates that the Pentagon must establish a process to identify transgender troops by March 26 and separate them from the military by June 25, unless they are granted an exemption. This includes service members undergoing treatment or hormone therapy for gender dysphoria or who have undergone gender-affirming surgery.
“I will continue to put on my uniform every day, go to work, and perform my duties to the best of my abilities for as long as I can,” stated Morgan. Sasha Buchert, an attorney with Lambda Legal who served openly as transgender in the military, expressed to ABC News that the recent Pentagon memorandum was not unexpected. She stated, “This is precisely what we anticipated, and it aligns with the basis of our complaint and motion for preliminary injunction… There are no surprises here; it is utterly shameful.”
Buchert also commented on the Trump administration’s treatment of transgender service members, asserting that there seems to be no limit to how extreme their actions might become. She criticized the prioritization of transgender issues amidst other pressing national security and domestic concerns, deeming it “shameful and disgraceful” and emphasizing the harm caused to transgender military personnel and their families.
Regarding the lawsuit Shilling v. Trump challenging the transgender military service ban, Buchert argued that the removal of thousands of transgender service members would have significant financial implications for the military due to the training and development investments made in each individual. A study by the Palm Center estimated that the expulsion of transgender troops could cost close to $1 billion. It was reported that there are currently 4,240 active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
The reactions of transgender military members to the “jarring” Pentagon memo were detailed in an article on abcnews.go.com. In response to the situation, Buchert expressed concerns over the financial impact on the military and emphasized the constitutional and fairness issues raised by the ban on transgender service members.
