The Air Force has issued guidance on how transgender Airmen and Guardians will be involuntarily discharged, making it the first branch to provide detailed instructions on removing transgender personnel in compliance with the Pentagons trans military ban.This isnt a policyits a shadow process, Sparta, a transgender military advocacy organization, said in statement. It creates a military that is no longer built on standards and values identity over merit and paperwork over judgement, eliminating transparency along the way. Related Supreme Court allows military to start kicking trans people out According to an August 12 memo, transgender service members will not be allowed to contest their separation based on service record, character, or merit protections normally available to others facing discharge. Instead, if a member requests a board hearing, the board will consider only one question: whether the member has a current diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria, or exhibits symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria.If the board finds the member has a diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria, or exhibits symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria, the board must recommend separation, the memo states. The board does not make findings or recommendations on a retention waiver or service characterization, and the board shall not receive evidence on these matters. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The guidance explains that hearings will resemble court trials, with opening statements, witness testimony, and documentary evidence such as medical records, policy waivers permitting compliance with standards of the opposite sex, or requests to alter sex markers on official documents. Panel members will then vote by secret ballot in private deliberations on whether separation is warranted.Sparta criticized the procedure for ignoring key factors like service history, physical health, commander recommendations, and overall performance, all of which usually play an important role in military separation decisions. The Air Force just created a separate set of rules for transgender members under the illusion that fairness still exists, Sparta said. Transgender troops are not asking for special favors; just equal treatment under the law and the right to due process.These guidelines come after the president reinstated his transgender military ban during his first month back in office. In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo enforcing the ban and halting gender-affirming care for service members and their families. Although a federal judge temporarily blocked the ban, the Supreme Court lifted the injunction in May, allowing it to take effect. Active-duty personnel were given until June 6 to voluntarily separate; reservists had until July 7 before involuntary separations began.Roughly 4,240 service members have been classified with gender dysphoria, the diagnosis being used to identify transgender personnel for involuntary separation. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.