This bill prohibits discrimination in the military based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation. It responds to executive orders that restrict transgender service members and establishes that qualifications must be based only on job standards.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill prohibits discrimination in the military based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation. It responds to executive orders that restrict transgender service members and establishes that qualifications must be based only on job standards.
Last updated: 1/5/2026
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Equal and Uniform Treatment in the Military Act or the EQUITY Act </strong></p><p>This bill prohibits discrimination within the Department of Defense (DOD) against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation.</p><p>A qualification established or applied related to eligibility for service in any of the Armed Forces must only consider (1) the ability of an individual to meet the general occupational standards for service, and (2) the particular military occupational specialty.</p><p>On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled <em>Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government</em>, declaring that the United States recognizes two sexes (male and female) and these sexes are not changeable.</p><p>On January 27, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled<em> Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness</em>, expressing that the policy for troop readiness is inconsistent with gender dysphoria or the use of pronouns that inaccurately reflect an individual’s biological sex. Further, the order directs DOD to update specific guidance documents related to medical standards for military service to reflect the purpose and policy of the order.</p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Prohibits military discrimination based on gender identity
Protects sexual orientation in armed forces
Responds to Trump executive orders on transgender policy
Requires qualifications based only on job standards
Ensures equal treatment regardless of identity
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
Transgender and LGBTQ service members would have explicit legal protections against discrimination in the military. This directly counters executive actions restricting transgender military service and pronoun use.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Armed Forces and National Security
Related Subjects
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Military personnel and dependents
Racial and ethnic relations
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
1543, 119th Congress (2025). "EQUITY Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-1543
