On Monday, January 20, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order revoking a policy that permitted transgender individuals to serve in the military.
Trump, who had previously implemented a ban on transgender service members during his first administration, reversed an order by his predecessor, Joe Biden, that allowed transgender individuals to serve openly in the military.
While the new ban has not yet been enacted, this reversal sets the stage for its potential implementation in the future.
The president announced that the government would recognize only two genders—male and female.
In addition, Trump repealed diversity and inclusion programs across all federal agencies.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, before Trump’s initial ban in 2019, up to 8,000 transgender individuals were serving in the military.
