The United States will start removing transgender troops from the military within 30 days unless they receive a waiver on a case-by-case basis, according to a Pentagon memo issued Wednesday.
The memo surfaced as part of a court filing in a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s late January executive order, which aimed to bar transgender individuals from serving in the military.
“Service members who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria will be processed for separation from military service,” the memo stated.
However, these troops may be “considered for a waiver on a case-by-case basis, provided there is a compelling government interest in retaining the service member that directly supports warfighting capabilities,” it added.