Washington: The Pentagon stops gender -affirming healthcare for transient troops as it moves to implement President Donald Trump’s plan to remove them from the US military, according to a note seen by Reuters Monday.
The instructions of the Defense Ministry block any new hormone treatments as well as any surgical procedures for trans -fun troops, the note said.
“I instruct you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guide,” said Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant defense secretary for health affairs, in the note.
The Pentagon referred questions to Defense Health Agency, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shannon Minter from the National Center for Lesbian Rights said the sudden cessation of healthcare was “unnecessarily disrespectful and cruel”.
“It’s shameful that our country’s military would treat any service member in this way,” Minter said.
A transgender -Service member who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted, called the decision “The Latest Faces in the Face” to troops that serve honestly.
“If there was any doubt left there is no longer: Transgender -Service members are no longer entitled to the same standard for medical treatment as their peers,” the service member said.
On May 6, the US Supreme Court allowed Trump’s administration to implement its ban on trans -transient people in the military, allowing the armed forces to execute the thousands of current transcend troops and reject new recruits while legal challenges play out.
Reuters first reported a memo last week showing that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegeth issued instructions to start removing transking troops that do not choose to leave voluntarily before June 6.
There are 4,240 US active and National Guard-Transk Troops, officials have said. Attorneys for transking rights have given higher estimates.
Trump signed an executive order in January, after returning to the Presidency, reversing a policy implemented under his predecessor Joe Biden, who had given trans -brick troops the opportunity to earn open.
A Gallup vote published in February found that 58% of Americans favored the openly transcend individuals could serve in the military, but the support had fallen from 71% in 2019.
A former Fox News host Hegeth has embraced conservative attitudes to cultural war issues, including removing diversity initiatives on the Pentagon. Hegeth had clearly made its opposition to gender -affirming care of transient troops in a post on social media last month.
Resumption of an article that said the Pentagon would resume treatments for transient troops, Hegeth said, “If this is true-we will find any way possible to stop it.”
“Taxpayers should never pay for this madman,” Hegeth added.
