The Department of the Navy has announced a significant policy shift impacting transgender sailors and Marines. In a recent memo, service members identifying as transgender are given the opportunity to voluntarily separate from military service by March 28. After this date, those who do not opt for voluntary separation risk being involuntarily discharged, resulting in a reduction of their benefits by 50%.

Policy Background

This decision aligns with an executive order from January, which was signed by President Donald Trump, that prevents transgender individuals from serving in the military. Following this, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued directives in February for each branch of the military to establish plans for the separation of transgender service members within a stipulated timeframe.

Memo Highlights

Acting Secretary of the Navy, Terence Emmert, emphasized in the memo that the Navy recognizes only two genders: male and female, stating that “an individual’s sex is immutable, unchanging during a person’s life.” Consequently, service members who have a history of gender dysphoria cannot continue their military careers, although they may choose to voluntarily depart by the stated deadline.

Memos indicate that a history of cross-sex hormone therapy or sex reassignment surgery disqualifies individuals from military service. Despite this policy, the Navy will not actively seek out medical records to identify transgender service members unless they explicitly request such reviews.

Separation Options and Benefits

Transgender individuals who take the option for voluntary separation will receive double the separation pay compared to those separated involuntarily. For example, a petty officer first class with ten years of service could receive over $100,000 in voluntary separation pay, while involuntary separation would yield half that amount.

It is noteworthy that service members with less than six years or more than twenty years of service are not eligible for voluntary separation pay.

Exceptions and Considerations

The memo indicates that some waivers may be issued on a case-by-case basis by the Secretary of the Navy if retaining individuals aligns directly with military readiness and warfighting capabilities.

Legal Developments

The Navy’s announcement coincides with ongoing legal challenges against the Trump administration’s military ban, filed by LGBTQ advocacy groups, including the GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. A federal judge heard arguments regarding a lawsuit seeking to block the ban, with a decision expected before the March 25 deadline.

Furthermore, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Lambda Legal have also filed a suit on behalf of six transgender service members, condemning the administration’s actions as harmful and un-American.

Supporting Transgender Service Members

While current leadership has taken a firm stance on the exclusion of transgender service members, there have been previous efforts to support LGBTQ individuals in the Navy. Former Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Gilday, publicly defended diversity within military ranks, stating the importance of cohesion and respect in building effective warfighting teams.