Biden to reverse Trump administration policy on transgender people in the military

The Biden executive order will allow individuals seeking hormone treatment or surgery to transition to openly serve in the military

By Sophie Mann

Published: January 25, 2021 11:20am

Updated: January 25, 2021 11:35am

President Biden is expected Monday sign an executive order reversing the Trump administration policy on transgender individuals serving openly in the military.

Biden's move is expected, considering he promised during his 2020 presidential campaign to overturn the restriction on "Day One" of his administration.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last week during his Senate confirmation hearing that he supports the reversal of the policy.

"If you’re fit and you’re qualified to serve and you can maintain the standards, you should be allowed to serve, and you can expect that I will support that throughout," he said.

The Trump administration argued that the policy was not a "ban," though it did prevent individuals planning on pursuing hormone treatment and/or surgery in order to transition from enlisting in the U.S. armed forces.

The Trump policy was announced in July 2017, reversing an Obama administration policy decision that had been implemented in 2016. At present, service member who identify as transgender are required to serve as their biologically assigned sex.