The U.S. military will discharge transgender service members unless they receive a waiver, the Pentagon announced in a memo released Wednesday.

This memo surfaced during a legal battle over President Donald Trump’s executive order from late January. The order aims to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military.

Who Will Be Removed?

According to the Pentagon:

"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."

However, some may qualify for a waiver. The military will only approve exceptions if there is a "compelling government interest" in keeping the individual. Their role must directly support military operations.

Waiver Requirements

To receive a waiver, service members must meet strict conditions. They must:

• Never have attempted to transition.
• Prove "36 consecutive months of stability in the service member's sex without clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning."

Without meeting these requirements, transgender troops will face removal.

Ban on New Recruits and Medical Transitions

Earlier this month, the Pentagon issued another directive. It banned transgender individuals from enlisting. It also stopped gender transition treatments for those already serving.

The new policy further disqualifies recruits who have:

• A "current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria."
• Undergone "cross-sex hormone therapy or sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery as treatment for gender dysphoria."

Can Disqualified Applicants Get a Waiver?

Some disqualified individuals may still join if they qualify for a waiver. The government will consider cases where the applicant has "a compelling government interest" and agrees to follow all military standards, including those related to their sex.

Years of Changing Policies

The military’s stance on transgender service members has shifted multiple times.

In 2016, under President Barack Obama, the U.S. lifted the ban on transgender troops. The policy allowed those already serving to remain and planned to accept new transgender recruits by July 1, 2017.

However, the Trump administration first delayed this deadline to 2018. Later, it decided to reverse the policy completely.

After multiple legal challenges, Trump’s restrictions finally took effect in April 2019. The case even reached the Supreme Court before implementation.

When Joe Biden became president in 2021, he immediately reversed Trump’s ban. He stated that all qualified Americans should have the right to serve in the military.

However, after returning to office in January, Trump reinstated the ban. His executive order stated:

"Expressing a false 'gender identity' divergent from an individual's sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service."

Broader Political Divide

Transgender rights remain a hot-button issue in U.S. politics. Republican-led states and Democrat-led states continue to take opposite approaches.

The debate includes policies on medical treatment and restrictions on transgender-related books in public and school libraries.

Trump’s new military policy adds another layer to this ongoing controversy.