Defense Department to kick out transgender troops, memo says
The decision was immediately condemned by transgender rights activists contacted by Reuters.
"It is just shameful," said Jennifer Levi, a senior director at the pro-LGBTQ legal group GLAD Law.
More: Supreme Court allows ban on transgender troops to take effect | The Excerpt
"It is senseless to fast track people out of the military who are meeting standards and putting lives on the line to defend the country."
Hegseth's memo illustrates how President Donald Trump's administration intends to swiftly act to remove thousands of transgender servicemembers after the Supreme Court's ruling on Tuesday cleared the way for a ban to take effect.
In the memo, Hegseth said active duty transgender troops could identify themselves for "voluntary separation" from the U.S. armed forces until June 6. Troops who are in the reserve forces had until July 7.
"On conclusion of the self-identification eligibility window, the Military Departments will initiate involuntary separation processes," the memo said.
The Pentagon's ban is just one of a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to curb transgender rights.
Trump signed an executive order in January after returning to the presidency that reversed a policy implemented under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, that had allowed transgender troops to serve openly in the American armed forces. Biden said at the time that "America is safer when everyone qualified to serve can do so openly and with pride."
As of late last year, there were 4,240 U.S. active-duty and National Guard transgender troops, officials have said. Transgender rights advocates have given higher estimates.
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