Donald Trump announces ban on transgender people serving in military except under ‘limited circumstances’

'This new policy will enable the military to apply well-established mental and physical health standards,' says White House statement

Donald Trump has announced a policy to ban most transgender people from serving in the US military except under “limited circumstances”.

The President signed a memorandum on Friday stating that transgender individuals with a history of “gender dysphoria” are disqualified from military service “except under certain limited circumstances”.

Gender dysphoria was defined as “those who may require substantial medical treatment, including through medical drugs or surgery”.

It added that the secretaries of defence and homeland security “may exercise their authority to implement any appropriate policies concerning military service by transgender individuals”.

The White House said on Friday that Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had found that individuals with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria presented a risk to military effectiveness.

“This new policy will enable the military to apply well-established mental and physical health standards ... equally to all individuals who want to join and fight for the best military force the world has ever seen,” the White House said.

Exceptions to the ban include people who have been “stable for 36 consecutive months in their biological sex prior to accession”, those who “do not require a change of gender” and troops who started serving under the Obama administration’s policy prior to the new policy.

Critics hit out at the new policy, branding it “hateful” and saying it would “humiliate” transgender troops.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted: “No one with the strength and bravery to serve in the US military should be turned away because of who they are.

“This hateful ban is purpose-built to humiliate our brave transgender members of the military who serve with honour and dignity.”

Mr Trump announced in July that he would prohibit transgender people from serving in the military, reversing former President Barack Obama’s policy of accepting them.

The change was immediately entangled in legal challenges and denounced by transgender soldiers, and some military officials who said it was needlessly discriminatory.

Two months later, a federal judge ruled against the ban, siding with current and aspiring transgender service members who sued to halt it.

On Friday, the Pentagon reaffirmed that it would continue to comply with federal law, saying: “[The Pentagon] will continue to assess and retain transgender service members.”