Last Updated on 4 months by Ashley Michael
Pentagon will restore gender-affirming care for active-duty service members, including surgical procedures and hormone therapy, according to a new document obtained by CNN.
The move follows a federal court decision last month that indefinitely blocked President Donald Trump‘s executive order banning transgender individuals from military service.
Signed by Dr. Stephen Ferrara, acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, the memo states that military medical facilities can now provide transgender service members ages 19 and older with treatment for gender dysphoria.
This includes access to mental health services, cross-sex hormone therapy, voice therapy, and medically appropriate surgeries.
Additionally, service members can receive care through the Supplemental Health Care Program, which allows them to access treatment from civilian providers. Ferrara confirmed that waivers previously paused or canceled under the Trump administration are now reinstated.
The Defense Department directed further questions about the policy shift to the Department of Justice. The statement was first reported by Politico.
The policy reversal comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed by transgender service members and prospective recruits challenging the Pentagon and Trump’s ban. Under the January executive order, individuals diagnosed with or having a history of gender dysphoria would have been disqualified from military service, prompting legal action and strong backlash from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.