Why Patriots Must Oppose the Transgender Military Purge

By Valarie R. Austin, May 13th, 2025, 1:30 PM EDT


(Previously Published on LinkedIn)

As a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, I am dismayed by the Department of Defense's new policy to dismiss transgender service members. As of December 2024, approximately 4,240 transgender individuals who serve in uniform face discharge. This immoral and unconstitutional purge is not based on performance, conduct, or national security. It is rooted in prejudice. Once again politics has hijacked military policy, targeting a small, misunderstood population to score points with extremist constituencies. This action is happening now. Silence is complicity.

The harm is not theoretical. The Advocates for Trans Equality website defines transgender as “a broad term that can be used to describe people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were thought to be when they were born.” Transgender Americans, who make up less than 1% of the adult population, are being expelled from military service despite meeting the same standards as everyone else. They are being punished solely for who they are and a ripe target for conservative policymakers.

Religious beliefs may guide individuals, but they must never be used to deny constitutional rights within public institutions like the military. Our military exists to defend liberty for all Americans. The military must not selectively deny that liberty based on religious objections. Most true religions teach a doctrine of respect and love for all individuals, no matter their gender, race, or religious affiliation.

The Military Is No Place for Ideological Purges
Transgender service members are not being dismissed for disciplinary issues or failing to meet mission standards. The Department of Defense (DoD) has provided no evidence of poor performance or risk to readiness. In fact, the DoD has invested millions of dollars in military training and career advancement without a transparent plan to backfill their positions, which may become vacant within 30 to 60 days. According to Modern Military Association of America, the DoD may spend billions in tax payer dollars to discharge and replace these trained service members over the next 20 years.

DoD Secretary Pete Hegseth, recently appointed under the current administration, delivered a speech riddled with political rhetoric rather than facts to U.S. Special Operations Command personnel. He invoked slogans about ending “wokeness” and “weakness” in the military while he disparaged transgender troops with offensive characterizations. Secretary Hegseth also promised to return the military to undefined standards and a revisionist ideal of the "warrior ethos.” These statements ignore the modern military’s reliance on diversity, intelligence, and strategic thought.

Let us be clear. The U.S. military’s success is not based solely on combat arms. It depends on military members in logistics, communications, cyber operations, intelligence, civil affairs, medical fields, and a myriad of other support roles across the services. Although these support roles are indirect to the lethality on the battlefield, they enable the warfighting capability of the different combat elements. Hegseth’s vision ignores the complexity and professionalism of modern joint operations.

From Segregation to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell:” History’s Warning
We have seen this before. The military has a long history of exclusion, specifically racial segregation until 1948, marginalization of women before the 1970’s, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy imposed on gay and lesbian troops, and a prior ban on transgender service under President Trump in 2019. Each of these policies was eventually recognized as discrimination, not sound policy.

Now, history repeats itself with transgender service members in a January 2025 White House Executive Order that bans new transgender recruits and discharges transgender individuals from the military. The American Medical Association affirms that transgender identity is a normal human variation and not a disorder. Gender Dysphoria, which is a medical term for psychological distress, comes from the incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity. Gender Dysphoria impacts some transgender people, but typically can be successfully treated. Adult transgender service members serve with honor, patriotism, and skill. Yet, under the current directive, they are cast aside as if they are unfit by default. This is not just policy. It is moral failure by officially authorizing discrimination in violation of the Equal Protection Clause under the Fifth Amendment.

In my 21 years of service, I saw firsthand how silencing identity under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," harmed morale. Dedicated troops lived in fear, which undermined cohesion or the very thing the policy claimed to protect. Today's transgender ban repeats that mistake with even greater cruelty.

The Myth of Military Readiness
Supporters of the ban claim that it protects military readiness. This claim lacks factual support. In 2018, the chiefs of all military branches stated there were no issues with transgender troops serving openly. Studies, including a 2020 Palm Center Public Policy study, found no impact on cohesion or effectiveness.

So what has changed? Only the politics of those in power.

The current policy has replaced evidence with emotion, and inclusivity with intolerance. The administration’s decisions will remove experienced professionals and degrade morale. This decision is in line with recent firings of high-ranking officers for no apparent reason beyond their race or gender. The Joint Chiefs of Staff now lack diversity, reducing the range of talent and perspectives needed to solve complex challenges. Independent thought is being purged in favor of partisan loyalty, not to the Constitution.

While the military dismisses qualified transgender professionals, 91% of Fortune 500 companies, such as IBM and Goldman Sachs, embrace inclusion as a driver of innovation and mission effectiveness.

Weaponizing “Wokeness” Against Patriots
The decision’s vague references to “wokeness” are nothing more than camouflage for exclusion. Transgender troops are being painted with a broad, harmful brush, without regard for individual records or contributions. Globally, transgender military members have served with distinction, such as Anastasia Biefang, the first transgender battalion commander in the German Army, an allied partner.

The cruelty of this purge extends beyond the service members themselves. It tears apart families, disrupts units, and sends a chilling message that the military rewards conformity over character. Those who speak out are fired. Those who stay silent are complicit. Instead of focusing on the well-being and economic stability of average Americans, this administration is focused on division, culture wars, and disrespect for an already marginalized class of people. This purge is a distraction and an affront to members who serve.

Let me address one particularly dishonest argument: We are discussing adult service members who have undergone rigorous background checks and security clearances. The inflammatory rhetoric about "grooming children" has no relevance to military service by transgender adults. These patriots are not threatening children, but are protecting them through their military service. Those who conflate adult autonomy with child welfare concerns are either misinformed or deliberately deceptive.

From Tailhook to Today: Regressing, Not Progressing
The 1991 Tailhook scandal, involving widespread sexual misconduct by Navy and Marine Corps officers, exposed a culture of impunity. It took public outrage and Congressional hearings to force accountability. Today’s rollback of transgender acceptance in the military ranks and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts risks undoing decades of progress.

Why Transgender Troops Serve and Why We Must Defend Them
Transgender troops serve for the same reasons as anyone else: love of country, family tradition, educational opportunity, or a desire to contribute to something greater. Their motivations are no different, and many serve with distinction and valor.

According to UCLA’s Williams Institute, nearly 1.3 million adult Americans identify as transgender or gender nonconforming. In the military, relatively few have self-identified, but even this has triggered an overreaction fueled by political scapegoating. The truth is simple. If they meet the standards, they should be allowed to serve.

This Is About All of Us
Do not be fooled. This is not just about transgender people. It is about who gets to be American, who gets to serve, and who has constitutional rights. If the government can strip away rights from one group of U.S. citizens based on prejudice, it can do it to others. Today it is transgender troops. Tomorrow it could be African-Americans, immigrants, Muslims, political opponents, or women.

The conservative-dominated Supreme Court has refused to intervene, allowing this injustice to proceed while a lawsuit brought by transgender service members works its way through the courts. The Supreme Court typically gives deference to military restrictions if they can show it is based on the needs of the military. The Court’s inaction echoes the failures of Plessy v. Ferguson, an infamous decision that allowed racial segregation to flourish under a false sense of legal neutrality.

Call to Action: Speak Up Before It Is Too Late
If you believe in fairness, integrity, and service, you cannot stay silent. This purge is not just wrong. In an April 2025 letter to Secretary Hegseth, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who is a combat veteran and a member of both the Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, condemned the transgender military service ban as un-American and unconstitutional.

Here is how you can take action:

- Contact your Representatives. Urge Congress to investigate and stop the purge. Reach out to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
- Support Transgender Rights Organizations. Groups like the Advocates for Trans Equality, Trans Youth Emergency Project, and the Modern Military Association of America are fighting for justice.
- Veterans, Speak Out. Use your voice and credibility. We took an oath to defend the Constitution, not the ideology of any one party.
- Share This Message. Awareness matters. The more people know, the more pressure we can create.


Conclusion: Defend What Truly Makes Us Strong
The transgender military ban goes beyond politics and political parties. It is about values and right versus wrong. A military that excludes talented and capable individuals based on identity is weaker, not stronger. A nation that embraces diversity is more resilient, not less. Every American citizen who is of good moral character and capability should be allowed to serve this country with honor and distinction.

We need every voice, especially those of us who have worn the uniform, to rise against this injustice. Stand for the Constitution. Stand for your fellow service members. Stand for what is right. I took an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Today, that oath compels me to speak out. The ban on transgender troops is bad policy and an affront to our values, our readiness, and our republic.

Valarie R. Austin is the author of The Student’s Comprehensive Guide for College & Other Life Lessons. She has a wealth of knowledge on the subjects of career and college preparation. She also conducts public speaking workshops as well as career and college readiness workshops for high school students, parents and transitioning military members. Check out her LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin/in/valarie-r-austin. Copyright 2025, Vauboix Publishing LLC. (Article 1 of 3, summer 2025)