A new study has found that the current ban on military service by transgender Americans has harmed the armed forces, contradicting claims by the Trump administration that the ban was needed to protect readiness, unit cohesion, and overall effectiveness. The 36-page report instead found that the policy, which President Trump implemented in 2019, ended up “compromising recruitment, reputation, retention, unit cohesion, morale, medical care, and good order and discipline.”

The study was co-authored by three former military Surgeons General along with a group of scholars at the Palm Center. It is based on demographic analysis of retention and recruitment patterns, Pentagon data, surveys of nearly a hundred transgender service members, interviews of military personnel, and reviews of scholarly studies and media articles.

For media coverage of the study, click here