The U.S. military will start kicking out transgender soldiers next month

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has sent instructions to the Pentagon to begin removing transgender troops who do not choose to leave voluntarily by June 6, according to a memo obtained by Reuters. The Pentagon has not yet responded to requests for comment.

This decision has drawn strong criticism from transgender rights activists. Jennifer Levi, a senior director at the LGBTQ legal group GLAD Law, called it "shameful." She added, "It makes no sense to remove people from the military who meet standards and risk their lives to defend our country."

The memo states that after the deadline for self-identification, the military will start the process to involuntarily separate these troops. This ban is part of a series of actions taken by the Trump administration to limit transgender rights. In January, Trump signed an executive order that overturned a policy from former President Joe Biden that allowed transgender individuals to serve openly in the military. Biden had said, "America is safer when everyone qualified to serve can do so openly and with pride."

As of late last year, there were about 4,240 transgender troops serving in active duty and the National Guard, although rights advocates suggest the number might be higher.