Priya Rashid, an Army Reserve lawyer and civilian attorney, has been representing transgender service members facing separation from the U.S. military following a policy implemented under former President Donald Trump that effectively barred transgender individuals from serving openly. Since the ban was enacted, Rashid has taken on the challenging task of defending these troops in special military separation board hearings, despite losing 26 out of her last 27 cases.
The policy, reaffirmed in 2019 by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, ordered the removal of transgender troops, citing concerns over readiness and unit cohesion. While some of the approximately 4,000 transgender service members chose to leave voluntarily with a financial payout, many have opted to fight the separations, taking their cases before boards that operate in secret, behind closed doors on military bases. These hearings, conducted without public records or transcripts, are closed even to the troops themselves or their spouses in some instances.
Rashid has become one of the few legal advocates who has attended numerous hearings nationwide, witnessing firsthand the experiences of highly decorated and respected soldiers who had served for years, often with deployments overseas. Many of her clients have been barred from testifying in uniform or required to conform to gender presentation standards inconsistent with their identity, which has further complicated their defense.
One of Rashid’s clients, Army Captain Kai Proce, an officer with 11 years of service including mentorship roles at West Point, faced a separation board that evaluated extensive documentation—nearly 500 pages of military records, letters of recommendation, and legal briefs—in an effort to retain his position. Despite such efforts, the board’s decisions have largely been unfavorable, reflecting limited discretion granted by the administration overseeing the process.
The underlying justification for the separations has been a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, a medical condition characterized by distress linked to gender incongruence. The Trump administration contended that troops with this diagnosis could not meet the demands of military service. However, critics argue that some transgender service members sought the diagnosis solely to access necessary medical treatment and did not experience impairment or distress. Rashid contended that the policy effectively used the gender dysphoria diagnosis as a pretext to exclude troops who demonstrated no decline in performance or conduct.
The separation hearings have left many affected soldiers facing uncertain futures, with some losing eligibility for pensions and healthcare benefits after long careers, while others remain in limbo awaiting final decisions. Major Kara Corcoran, an infantry platoon leader who was five days shy of qualifying for retirement benefits at the time of her hearing, described the process as intentionally cruel.
Rashid, a military lawyer with personal and professional ties to the armed forces, initially believed these cases could be successfully challenged. Over time, the repeated losses and perceived predetermined outcomes have caused her to question the fairness of the process and the impact on her clients’ dignity and careers. Despite the emotional toll, Rashid and a small group of volunteer lawyers continue to represent transgender service members pro bono, citing a commitment to defend those they view as unjustly targeted.
The current administration under President Joe Biden reversed the transgender military ban in 2021, restoring the ability for transgender individuals to serve openly. However, the separation boards established under the previous administration continue to adjudicate the cases initiated during the ban’s enforcement, leaving many transgender troops engaged in a protracted legal and personal struggle over their service and status. The Pentagon has declined to comment on the specifics of the separation hearings or their ongoing management.