The United States Army says it will no longer allow transgender individuals to join the military.
The army said it will also stop performing or facilitating procedures associated with gender transition for service members.
The military unit said in a statement that the decision was effective on Friday.
“Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for service members are paused,” the statement said.
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“Individuals with gender dysphoria have volunteered to serve our country and will be treated with dignity and respect.”
It is unclear how many transgender people currently serve in the US military, but activists have pegged it at 15,000 out of a population of 1.3 million active-duty service members.
The directive is part of President Donald Trump’s executive order to rid federal agencies of programmes that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
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On his inauguration day, Trump said he would create a society that is “colour-blind and merit-based”.
The US president accused the former administration of socially engineering race and gender into “every aspect of public and private life”.
He clarified that moving forward, it would be the official policy of the US government that there are only two genders, male and female.
Trump’s promise was certified in an executive order hours later.
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Last week, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
The signed order gives the US Department of Education the responsibility to ensure schools nationwide comply with the directive.
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