Decorated transgender troops endure closed-door hearings with foregone conclusions in Pentagon purge

The Trump administration’s campaign to drive transgender people from the military is being carried out inside closed hearing rooms, where decorated service members are subjected to proceedings ordinarily used to remove troops accused of drug abuse, domestic violence or theft.There are no cameras or public transcripts. Spouses can be excluded. Some transgender troops have been barred from attending the proceedings that will determine whether they lose their careers.A remarkable New York Times report published Monday provides a rare look inside the separation boards the Pentagon is using to enforce President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender military service. Although the hearings are presented as individualized reviews, the report found that years of exemplary performance often cannot overcome a gender dysphoria diagnosis in a service member’s medical record.That was the case for Capt. Kai Proce, an Army officer who served for 11 years, deployed to South Korea and the Middle East and mentored 125 cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.His final performance review described him as one of the best officers his commander had encountered in nearly three decades. His lawyer presented hundreds of pages documenting his service, awards and character.The Army’s case was far simpler. Proce had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and received gender-affirming care. A three-officer panel voted to remove him.Related: New Pentagon memo dictates how transgender troops must look to defend their serviceA diagnosis becomes the verdictTrump ordered the Pentagon shortly after returning to office last year to exclude transgender people from military service, declaring that being transgender conflicted with the “honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle” expected of service members.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dispensed with the bureaucratic language when he proclaimed, “No more dudes in dresses.”The policy targets troops who have a current or past diagno