June 6 Is D-Day For Trans Troops: Leave Now Or Be Tracked Down And Kicked Out, DOD Says

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has given transgender service members until June 6th to "self-identify" and leave the service voluntarily before facing involuntary separation processes. The Pentagon will start processing discharges of around 1,000 openly-identifying trans service members and will scour medical records to identify another 3,000 or more. Active duty troops have until June 6, while National Guard and reservists have until July 7 to come forward and leave voluntarily. The move has been criticized by LGBTQ activists, who call it "shameful" and "senseless" to fast-track people out of the military who are meeting standards and putting lives on the line to defend the country. The DOD has asserted that gender dysphoria is incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service. Between 2015 and 2014, the Pentagon spent $52 million on psychotherapy, hormone therapy, and surgeries for trans service members. Hegseth has reiterated his resolve to restore traditional military values and focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness. The Supreme Court's ruling on Tuesday was not the final word on the legality of excluding trans people from military service, as ongoing litigation continues. The campaign to cleanse the ranks of trans service members comes alongside declining public enthusiasm about their presence in the military. In a 2019 Gallup survey, 71% of Americans supported having trans people in the armed forces, but by February this year, only 58% said trans people belong in the military.