U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and 21 Senate Democratic colleagues are pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for answers and urging him not to implement the Trump Administration’s ban on transgender military service.

Their June 5 letter comes as the Pentagon moves to enforce a policy that would force out thousands of transgender service members, following a Supreme Court ruling that allowed the ban to take effect.

The senators’ letter challenges the administration’s rationale for the ban, demanding data to support claims that transgender service members are a threat to national security and questioning the financial and operational costs of replacing experienced personnel.

They argue that the policy is discriminatory, undermines unit cohesion, and harms military readiness, stating, “Transgender servicemembers are not political props; they are patriotic Americans serving honorably… Banning them from service will compromise good order and discipline, take deployable servicemembers out of the fight and create national security risks felt for years to come.”

The lawmakers also criticized new guidance requiring commanders to review medical records and report suspected cases of gender dysphoria, calling it a burdensome and invasive directive that erodes trust and wellbeing within military units.

The Trump Administration’s ban, formalized by executive order in January, reverses the previous policy that allowed transgender individuals to serve openly.

Defense Secretary Hegseth has given active-duty transgender troops until June 6 to voluntarily separate or face involuntary discharge, with reservists given until July 7.

The Pentagon estimates about 1,000 service members are directly impacted, though advocacy groups suggest the number could be higher.

Senator Fetterman, a vocal critic of the ban, reiterated his stance: “I am unapologetically pro-military—I believe in a strong, lethal military. But I am also unapologetically pro the LGBTQ community… A military that respects and supports all of its members is fully capable of being lethal and winning wars.”

The letter, endorsed by several national advocacy organizations, calls on Secretary Hegseth to halt implementation of the ban, warning it will weaken operational readiness, waste taxpayer dollars, and use service members as political pawns.

Legal challenges to the policy continue as lawmakers and advocates push for its reversal.