The perceived impact of executive order 14183 on transgender and nonbinary U.S. Service members

Introduction On January 27, 2025, Executive Order (EO) 14183 was enacted, banning transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) personnel from military service and restricting their employment opportunities and access to military-sponsored healthcare. Despite the significant implications of this policy change, there is a lack of empiric studies examining its health and social impacts on TGNB service members. This study explores the perceived biological, psychological, social, and technical consequences of EO 14183 as reported by TGNB service members.Methods Between June–July 2025, we conducted 20 open-ended interviews with current and former TGNB U.S. service members, recruited through a national transgender peer support network and an academic medical center. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach.Results Participants reported wide-ranging harms. Biologically, EO 14183 disrupted access to hormone therapy and surgical care, leading to physiologic instability, functional impairment, and both worsening of preexisting conditions and the emergence of new health problems. Psychologically, participants described heightened depression, anxiety, trauma reactivation, hypervigilance, gender dysphoria, and suicidality, with some requiring hospitalization. Socially, the executive order undermined belonging, fractured unit cohesion, strained families, and derailed careers, leaving many in administrative or professional uncertainty. Technologically, harms were reinforced through perceived surveillance of electronic health records and dismantling of centralized gender transition coordination infrastructure. At the same time, participants also relied on digital networks for information and peer support.Conclusion This study offers insight into how TGNB service members experienced the early implementation of EO 14183, including its reported effects on physical health, mental health, career, and family.