Democratic Congress members sent a letter on Wednesday demanding answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the military’s failure to provide separation pay, as promised, to some trans service members who were forcibly removed from the armed forces under President Trump’s ban on transgender soldiers.
“At least a dozen transgender troops have not received the separation funds they are owed,” the letter opens. “This is unacceptable and appears to be another broken promise by this Administration to those who have served.”
Related
The letter blasts Hegseth and the administration of President Donald Trump for “not only kicking [trans people] out of the military but also subjecting them to constant indignities along the way,” including language from the president’s January 2025 executive order suggesting that trans people are selfish, dishonorable, deceitful, undisciplined, and unfit for military service.
The letter also notes an August 26 article from The Washington Post, which mentioned at least 12 trans military who haven’t received their full separation pay in a timely fashion, including “an Army National Guardsman with twin 3-year-olds who is waiting for a $130,000 check, an Air Force major who flew search-and-rescue helicopters who was supposed to receive $340,000, and a Texas National Guard who is still owed more than $66,000.”
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
The trans Texas National Guardsperson, Chloe Shapiro, told the publication that she had been discharged from the military on February 1. Since then, she has made exactly 100 phone calls to military officials, contacted her senator and her representative, filed an inspector general’s complaint, and texted every former National Guard superior whose phone number she had — but none could tell her why she hadn’t received the separation pay or if she ever would.
Shapiro has since been homeless and has had to apply for Medicaid, food stamps and emergency housing. She said, “I’m applying for everything. I feel guilty for asking for these resources, but I wouldn’t need them if the military just paid me.”
The aforementioned letter asks Hegseth to supply, by October 14, all Defense Department communications about separation pay for trans soldiers kicked out under Trump’s ban as well as information on how long it has taken for the US military to provide separation pay to trans and non-trans soldiers in the past.
“Let us be clear: we strongly oppose the underlying transgender military ban,” the letter states. “The House of Representatives recently rejected, on a bipartisan vote, an attempt to codify this ban into law, and we hope the Courts will permanently block this ban from being carried out against any transgender person who would and could be serving but for this ban.”
“In the meantime, transgender servicemembers should receive the separation pay they are owed in a timely fashion —and we urge you to ensure this is handled expeditiously,” the letter continues.
The letter was signed by out trans congresswoman and Congressional Equality Caucus (CEC) Co-Chair Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE), out gay House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member and CEC Chair Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), out gay House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Member and CEC Co-Chair Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL), history-making out gay Rep. Everton Blair (D-GA), and three other Democratic Congress members.
Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
Author: Gavin Boyd
NA