U.S. halts medical services for transgender soldiers

By The Inspirer.

The United States Department of Defense (Pentagon) has suspended specialized medical services that were previously provided to transgender soldiers.

According to Reuters, the directive to suspend these services was issued in a memo addressed to U.S. military forces.

The document, signed on May 5, 2025, states that transgender individuals will no longer receive surgeries or hormone treatments aimed at altering their physical appearance from their biological sex.

It also notes that transgender service members who are still in the military by June will begin to be discharged.

The announcement has sparked outrage among transgender advocates, such as Shannon Minter, a prominent LGBTQ+ rights defender, who criticized the Pentagon’s decision as an affront to human dignity.

“It’s heartbreaking to see the country’s military treating its own soldiers this way,” Minter said.

One transgender service member, who requested anonymity, remarked that if there were still doubts about how transgender people are treated nowadays, this development makes it crystal clear.

“If there was any remaining uncertainty, it’s now obvious—transgender individuals are not entitled to the same medical services as their peers,” they said.

Back in January 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender individuals from serving in the military.