The U.S. Naval Academy will no longer permit transgender people from attending the school, in accordance with the Pentagon’s new policy blocking most transgender troops from serving in the military.
Although the Naval Academy previously admitted transgender students, including those who wanted to transition while a student, such students will be barred from attending the Naval Academy starting in the 2020-2021 academic school year.
The Pentagon’s new policy, which took effect this month, will not affect those who will attend the Naval Academy during the 2019-2020 academic school year, Naval Academy spokeswoman Jessica Maxwell told the Capital Gazette.
Under the Obama administration, transgender troops could openly serve and could undergo sex reassignment surgery. But the Trump administration’s new policy bars those who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria from joining the military unless they have been medically stable for 36 months and they haven’t already transitioned. They also must serve as their biological sex.
The policy does allow current transgender troops who already transitioned or are receiving treatment to transition to continue serving.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has rejected the notion the new policy is a ban on transgender troops and claims “all persons will continue to be treated with dignity and respect.”
According to the Associated Press, the Coast Guard Academy has also adopted the Pentagon’s new policy. It took effect last week.
The Military Academy and the Air Force Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
