Latest news with #StephenFerrara
Fox News
13-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Pentagon stopping gender transition treatment for transgender troops
The Pentagon is ending gender transition treatment for transgender troops, according to a new memo, as officials move to enforce President Donald Trump's plan to boot transgender troops out of the U.S. military. Under the instructions, the Defense Department is prohibiting any new hormone treatments or surgical procedures for transgender troops, according to the memo, Reuters reported. "I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance," Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Stephen Ferrara wrote in the memo. One transgender service member described the move as "the latest slap in the face" to honorably serving troops. "If there was any doubt left, there is not anymore: transgender service members are no longer entitled to the same standard of medical care as their peers," the service member told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of being targeted. Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed his opposition to gender transition treatment for transgender troops when he re-posted an article on X that said the Pentagon would resume treatments for transgender troops and their dependents. "If this is true - we will find any way possible to stop it," Hegseth wrote. "Taxpayers should NEVER pay for this lunacy." Since being confirmed as Pentagon chief, Hegseth has embraced efforts to eliminate diversity initiatives, particularly those applying to transgender troops. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court gave the green light for the Trump administration to implement its ban on transgender troops in the military, allowing the Defense Department to discharge thousands of current transgender troops and deny new recruits as legal challenges against the move continue to play out in court. A memo released last week revealed that Hegseth issued instructions to begin kicking out transgender troops who do not voluntarily leave by June 6. Trump had signed an executive order in January shortly after returning to the White House that reversed a Biden administration policy that had allowed transgender troops to serve. Officials have said there are 4,240 U.S. active-duty and National Guard transgender troops, although some transgender rights advocates say the number may be even higher.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
BREAKING: Pentagon orders immediate stop to gender-affirming care for transgender troops
In an escalation of the Trump administration's war on transgender Americans, the Pentagon has once again halted all gender-affirming health care for trans service members, just weeks after briefly reinstating it under court order. According to a memo obtained by Reuters, the Defense Department is now moving forward with a complete rollback of care for troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria, as it prepares to forcibly discharge those who do not voluntarily resign by June 6. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The decision, signed by acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Stephen Ferrara, comes despite a federal court's preliminary injunction issued in April that forced the Pentagon to restore access to hormone therapy and other medically necessary treatment. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the injunction and ruled in Shilling v. United States that the Trump administration could proceed with its ban on transgender service members while at least two legal challenges proceed. The Pentagon began implementing its ban immediately. Related: Defense Department reinstates gender-affirming care for trans troops The about-face follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's inflammatory public statements targeting transgender troops and his ultimatum to resign during Pride Month or be kicked out.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US troops will no longer be allowed to claim trans healthcare
The Pentagon is halting gender-affirming healthcare for transgender troops as it takes steps to remove them from the US armed forces. 'I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance,' Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defence for health affairs, said in a memo. The Defence Health Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move was well signposted by an administration that campaigned last year on promises to take a common sense attitude to transgender issues. In January, soon after taking office, Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender people from serving in the armed forces. 'A man's assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honour this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member,' runs the order. Then last week Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, issued instructions to the Pentagon to start expelling transgender troops who do not resign by June 6. It said the department would 'initiate involuntary separation processes' for anyone who did not leave voluntarily. A Pentagon spokesman said about 1,000 troops had self-identified with gender dysphoria and begun the separation process. It is an illustration of how Mr Hegseth, a former Fox News presenter, has put the 'war on woke' at the centre of the way he runs the Pentagon. He won a green light from the Supreme Court last week, paving the way for a ban to take effect. 'No more trans at the (US) Department of Defence,' he posted after the court issued a brief order granting an emergency request from the Trump administration to lift a nationwide injunction against its policy while other lawsuits make their way through the courts. Three liberal justices dissented. There are 4,240 active-duty and National Guard transgender troops, according to officials, but activists put the number far higher. In the meantime, public opinion has been hardening against allowing transgender troops in the armed forces. A Gallup poll published in February found that 58 per cent of Americans were in favour of allowing transgender troops. That number has fallen from 71 per cent six years ago. Mr Trump targeted transgender troops during his first term. After six months in office he announced he would ban transgender people in the military but then his administration spent two years navigating legal challenges. It eventually reached a compromise that allowed anyone already serving to stay but barred recruits who were taking hormones or transitioning to another gender. Two appeals courts continue to weigh the latest policy. Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights at Glad Law, wrote in a letter to the Washington DC court of appeals: 'The directive restates the unsupported assertion that 'expressing a false 'gender identity' divergent from an individual's sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service, further corroborating the district court's finding that the transgender military ban was motivated by animus against transgender people as a group.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Fox News
12-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Pentagon ceases gender transition treatments as it moves to boot trans troops
The Pentagon is immediately halting all gender transition treatments for transgender troops as it moves to remove them from the military, according to a new memo. "I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance," Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, wrote in a memo dated May 9. Now the Pentagon will only cover mental health and counseling for gender dysphoria. All other gender dysphoria-related treatments will be referred to the private sector. All scheduled and planned transgender surgeries will be canceled, but cross-sex hormone therapy for service members that began prior to the memo may be continued until they separate to prevent health complications. Last week transgender troops were given between 30 and 60 days to leave or risk being removed "involuntarily." Active duty service members have until June 6, one month after the court's ruling, to leave the military. Reservists have until July 7. The development followed a Supreme Court order that allowed a previously blocked ban on transgender military service to move forward. The Supreme Court's decision effectively paused a lower court's injunction, clearing the way for the Defense Department to implement the policy. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the ruling allows the department to resume policies centered on "Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness." Secretary Pete Hegseth added in that memo that those diagnosed with, or showing symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria may choose to leave voluntarily. If they do not, they may face mandatory separation. The Supreme Court did not rule on the underlying legal arguments but allowed President Trump's Jan. 27 executive order barring transgender individuals from military service to take effect. A lower court had temporarily blocked the policy, but Trump administration officials argued that delaying its implementation could harm operational readiness. Officials defending the policy have said it supports the military's need for unit cohesion, readiness, discipline, and cost efficiency. Trump's executive order also directed the Pentagon to revise its medical standards to emphasize combat preparedness and eliminate the use of gender identity-based pronouns within the department. The blanket ban on transgender individuals serving in the military had previously been lifted under President Barack Obama in 2014. The latest policy shift comes as Pentagon leadership under Hegseth moves to dismantle most diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Just last month, he stated that 99.9% of DEI-related policies had been removed. He also announced changes to fitness standards to ensure male and female troops are held to the same requirements for combat readiness.
Telegraph
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
US troops will no longer be allowed to claim trans healthcare
The Pentagon is halting gender-affirming healthcare for transgender troops as it takes steps to remove them from the US armed forces. 'I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance,' Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defence for health affairs, said in a memo. The Defence Health Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move was well signposted by an administration that campaigned last year on promises to take a common sense attitude to transgender issues. In January, soon after taking office, Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender people from serving in the armed forces. 'A man's assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honour this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member,' runs the order. 'War on woke' Then last week Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, issued instructions to the Pentagon to start expelling transgender troops who do not resign by June 6. It said the department would 'initiate involuntary separation processes' for anyone who did not leave voluntarily. A Pentagon spokesman said about 1,000 troops had self-identified with gender dysphoria and begun the separation process. It is an illustration of how Mr Hegseth, a former Fox News presenter, has put the 'war on woke' at the centre of the way he runs the Pentagon. He won a green light from the Supreme Court last week, paving the way for a ban to take effect. 'No more trans at the (US) Department of Defence,' he posted after the court issued a brief order granting an emergency request from the Trump administration to lift a nationwide injunction against its policy while other lawsuits make their way through the courts. Three liberal justices dissented. More than 4,000 transgender troops There are 4,240 active-duty and National Guard transgender troops, according to officials, but activists put the number far higher. In the meantime, public opinion has been hardening against allowing transgender troops in the armed forces. A Gallup poll published in February found that 58 per cent of Americans were in favour of allowing transgender troops. That number has fallen from 71 per cent six years ago. Mr Trump targeted transgender troops during his first term. After six months in office he announced he would ban transgender people in the military but then his administration spent two years navigating legal challenges. It eventually reached a compromise that allowed anyone already serving to stay but barred recruits who were taking hormones or transitioning to another gender. Two appeals courts continue to weigh the latest policy. Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights at Glad Law, wrote in a letter to the Washington DC court of appeals: 'The directive restates the unsupported assertion that 'expressing a false 'gender identity' divergent from an individual's sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service, further corroborating the district court's finding that the transgender military ban was motivated by animus against transgender people as a group.'
