1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

The Department of Defense's (DoD) proposed ban on transgender service members is misguided and detrimental to military readiness. During last week's court hearing, the government's lawyer was unable to provide justification for the ban or substantiate claims made by Secretary Hegseth regarding its necessity. The lack of data on the number of transgender troops and inability to define key terms like "gender dysphoria" exposed the haphazard nature of this policy. Moreover, falsely citing DoD reports and misrepresenting their findings further undermines the credibility of this discriminatory ban. Discharging patriotic and capable service members based solely on their gender identity is an injustice that harkens back to the discredited "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" era. With the military already facing recruiting shortfalls, this move will only exacerbate matters by driving away qualified individuals. At a time when our forces must be at maximum readiness, undermining unit cohesion and losing experienced personnel is profoundly counterproductive. I urge you to call for Secretary Hegseth's resignation and a full withdrawal of the transgender ban. Our military's strength lies in its diversity and commitment to defending freedom for all Americans. Reversing this ill-conceived policy is essential to upholding those core values and maintaining an effective fighting force.