Democrats introduce bill to protect transgender service members

A group of Democrats have introduced a bill to protect diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the military following President Trump's January executive order to dismantle such programming.

The 'Equal and Uniform Treatment in the Military Act – or the EQUITY Act – was introduced Monday by Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), the only Black woman on the House Armed Services Committee.

The bill lists the history of presidents and Congress removing barriers for servicemembers of all races, genders, and religions, including former President Obama's repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and former President Biden's policy rescinding a law prohibiting transgender individuals from serving in the armed forces.

"A diverse military is a strong military, and addressing our recruitment and retention challenges is vital to shoring up our national security and ensuring readiness," said Strickland, Secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus. "Any person who is qualified to serve our country should be able to do so without facing discrimination."

Nine other Democrats, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus, have co-sponsored the bill.

Shortly after taking office, Trump signed an executive order ending diversity programs in the military and directed Pentagon officials to review its policy on transgender troops.

The move followed a 2019 policy under Trump that banned anyone who identified as transgender from enlisting or those who wanted to begin to transition while serving.

Trump's 2025 order claimed that transgender service members "cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service" and that their identity "conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one's personal life."

Trump's new secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, was given 90 days to submit a report detailing the department's current DEI programs and offices to the White House. The Departments of Defense and Homeland Security were given just 30 days to provide a plan to meet the guidelines of the order and 180 days to present a progress report.

The EQUITY Act pushes back on Trump's order, stating that "every member of the Armed Forces has the right to serve, advance, and be evaluated based on only individual merit, fitness, capability, and performance, in an environment free of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation."

Some 15,000 military personnel are transgender, according to a 2018 survey of active duty military and those in the reserves and National Guard. In 2021, the Defense Health Agency diagnosed nearly 2,000 military personnel with "gender dysphoria," meaning these personnel identify with a gender that's different from the sex they were assigned at birth.

GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a lawsuit against Trump and several military officials in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Jan. 29, one day after the order was issued.

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