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Pentagon Begins Forcibly Discharging Trans Service Members
2016 RAND Corporation study, commissioned by the Pentagon, that found allowing transgender members to serve openly had no negative impact on unit cohesion, operational effectiveness, or readiness.In the February 26 memo, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense states that individuals who have been diagnosed with, or exhibit symptoms of, gender dysphoria “are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.”Service members who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria or have attempted or requested to transition through hormone therapy or surgery are disqualified from military service and will be discharged within the two months.All discharges will be honorable, except in rare cases where an individual’s service record merits a lower designation.Some transgender individuals may be considered for retention, on a case-by-case basis, if they can demonstrate that there is a “compelling government interest” in retaining them that directly supports “warfighting capabilities.”To qualify for such a waiver, a trans service member must have remained consistent in their assigned sex at birth for 36 consecutive months and that their gender dysphoria has not impeded them from completing their mission. They must also prove that they never attempted to transition and have continued to adhere to standards of dress and grooming consistent with their assigned sex at birth.