Washington: The Pentagon is stopping the medical attention that the genre for transgender troops affirms as it moves to implement the plan of President Donald Trump to eliminate them from the US army, according to a memorandum seen by Reuters on Monday.
The instructions of the Department of Defense prohibited the new hormonal treatments, as well as any surgical procedure for transgender troops, the memorandum said.
“I am ordering to take the necessary measures to immediately implement this guide,” said Stephen Ferrara, the assistant secretary of Interim Health Defense.
The Pentagon sent questions to the Defense Health Agency, which did not immediately answer a request for comments.
Shannon Minter, from the National Lesbian Rights Center, said the abrupt termination of medical care was “unnecessarily disrespectful and cruel.”
“It is shameful that the army of our nation treats any service member in this way,” said Miner.
A member of the transgender service, who speaks under condition of anonymity for fear of being attacked, described the decision “The last slapped in the face” to the troops that serve honorably.
“If there was any doubt, there are no longer: the members of the transgender service are no longer entitled to the same standard of medical care as their peers,” said the service member.
On May 6, the United States Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to implement its prohibition of transgender people in the Army, allowing the Armed Forces to download to the thousands of current transgender troops and reject new recruits while developing legal challenges.
Reuters first reported a memorandum last week that shows that the Secretary of Defense of the United States, Pete Hegseth, issued instructions to start eliminating transgender troops that do not choose to leave voluntarily before June 6.
There are 4,240 transgender active service troops and the US National Guard, the authorities said. Transgender rights defenders have provided higher estimates.
Trump signed an executive order in January, after returning to the presidency, which reversed a policy implemented under his predecessor Joe Biden that had allowed transgender troops to serve openly.
A Gallup survey published in February found that 58% of Americans favor allowing transgender people to openly serve in the army, but the support had decreased from 71% in 2019.
Former Fox News presenter, Hegseth has adopted conservative positions on cultural warmes, including the elimination of diversity initiatives in the Pentagon. Hegesh had made clear his opposition to the attention affirmed by the genre for transgender troops in a publication on social networks last month.
Publish an article that said that the Pentagon would resume treatments for transgender troops, Hegseth said: “If this is true, we will find any way possible to stop it.”
“Taxpayers should never pay for this madness,” Hegseth added.
