Revealed: Actual Number of Transgender Troops Significantly Lower Than Pentagon Estimates

The military recently disclosed the number of transgender service members, which was much lower than earlier estimates. Currently, 4,240 troops, or about 0.2% of the 2 million strong military, have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. This condition is how the military tracks the number of transgender individuals serving.

Many previous estimates suggested that the number was around 15,000, leading to some confusion about the actual figures.

Under the Trump administration, new policies were introduced that prohibited transgender individuals from serving. The administration cited reasons such as disruption within the ranks and the high costs of medical care. President Trump referred to the expenses for providing care as “tremendous” and claimed that being transgender contradicts a soldier’s commitment to an honorable and disciplined lifestyle.

In a recent report, the military shared new information about the costs associated with gender-affirming medical care for transgender service members. Since 2015, when these individuals were allowed to serve openly, the military has spent $52 million on such care, which includes psychotherapy, hormone therapy, and surgeries. This averages to about $9,000 for each transgender service member. It’s worth noting that this amount is just a small portion of the Defense Department’s annual health budget, which stands at $17 billion.

The data also revealed that about half of the troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria did not require any medical care. Roughly a quarter of them needed surgery.

For years, the military claimed it could not track transgender service members. However, following a federal judge’s ruling in a lawsuit brought by a group of transgender individuals challenging the policies barring them, the Pentagon was ordered to provide these figures.

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United States Defense and Military Forces,Transgender,Defense Department,Trump, Donald J