'Voluntary in Name Only': Deadline Comes for Transgender Troops to Leave Before Being Kicked Out

Lucian Nemoiu

The deadline for transgender service members on active duty to voluntarily leave the military arrived Friday, setting the stage for the Pentagon to soon begin kicking out those troops. For the transgender service members faced with the decision to leave or be booted later, Friday -- which also marks the first full weekend of Pride Month when many cities around the country, including Washington, D.C., will be holding parades and festivals celebrating LGBTQ+ rights -- was an agonizing day. One of