US Army to change transgender soldiers' records to birth sex

The U.S. Army will alter the records of transgender soldiers to show only their sex at birth, according to internal guidance seen by Reuters that details a series of steps it will take as it pushes them out of the service.

"Commanders will take immediate measures to update personnel records and administrative systems to reflect biological sex for all individuals," the 14-page memo stated.

The Army considered a person's sex to be "unchanging during a person's life," it said, echoing a February 26 Pentagon memo.

The Army document illustrates how President Donald Trump's administration intends to treat thousands of transgender troops after the Supreme Court's ruling this month cleared the way for the Pentagon to implement a ban on their service.

Reuters first reported on May 8 the Pentagon's plans to start kicking out transgender troops who do not elect to leave on their own by June 6. On May 12, it detailed plans to halt gender-affirming healthcare for transgender troops.

The Army could not immediately be reached for comment.

Changes extend beyond recordkeeping

The Army's latest memo detailed other steps beyond the records change to reflect the soldier's sex at birth, alterations it said would be carried out by the Army's Human Resources Command.

The Army document said that pronoun use when referring to individuals "must reflect their biological sex."

"In keeping with good order and discipline, salutations (e.g., addressing a senior officer as "sir" or "ma'am")," the document stated.

It also stated that access to "intimate spaces" will be determined by an individual's biological sex.

"Commanders will ensure all such shared intimate spaces will be clearly designated for either male, female, or family use," the document stated.

Backlash and broader policy reversal

There are 4,240 U.S. active-duty and National Guard transgender troops, officials have said. Transgender rights advocates have given higher estimates.

“The directives coming out are vindictive and aggressive. At the same time, they are being issued in a chaotic way that undoubtedly is harming military readiness," said Jennifer Levi, a senior director at the pro-LGBTQ legal group GLAD Law.

Trump signed an executive order in January, after returning to the presidency, that reversed a policy implemented under his predecessor Joe Biden that had allowed transgender troops to serve openly.

A Gallup poll published in February found that 58% of Americans favored allowing openly transgender individuals to serve in the military, but the support had declined from 71% in 2019.

A former Fox News host, Hegseth has embraced conservative stances on culture war issues, including eliminating diversity initiatives at the Pentagon.