Trans Military Members Dig In at Exit Deadline

Several transgender members of the military, now that the Trump administration’s deadline for leaving the service has arrived, say they’re staying to fight the mandate.

The administration gave transgender military members a choice between identifying themselves as transgender and agreeing to leave voluntarily by June 6 in exchange for an honorable discharge and separation pay, or facing repercussions if they choose to fight the ban, The New York Times reported Friday.

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Instead, Benn plans to apply for a waiver, and if that is rejected, she’ll demand to have her case in front of an Army review board to make it explain why, with her background that includes being a Bronze Star recipient, she should be thrown out of the military.

According to the Pentagon, about 4,200 transgender service members are in the military, representing 0.2% of the full force, and have been serving openly since 2016.

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The Trump administration said the ban is necessary, claiming that the medical needs of transgender people are expensive, and their presence disrupts morale.

Two trans troop groups sued, but the Supreme Court in May overturned a federal judge’s injunction blocking the ban.

National Guard and Reserve trans members, meanwhile, have until July 7 to agree to leave, but most are not eligible for extra pay.

Troops who refuse to leave willingly may have to repay enlistment bonuses, according to the Defense Department. It was also not clear if they would lose other benefits or get less-than-honorable discharges.

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U.S. Navy Cmdr. Emily Shilling, a fighter pilot and president of the transgender military advocacy group SPARTA, said that about half the trans troops appear to be taking the voluntary option to leave early.

She said she opted to leave because receiving an involuntary discharge could hinder her from getting the security clearances she would need in the defense industry, where she has had offers.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended Trump’s directive and said it was among the reasons Americans voted for him, reported NBC News​​.

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Hegseth issued a directive that military commanders will be told to identify troops with gender dysphoria and send them for medical checks that would result in removing them from the service. The evaluation could take months, however, as they depend on annual medical checks that could take time to schedule.