Summary

Prohibits discrimination by the Department of Defense against members of the Armed Forces on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation, while allowing military qualification standards that focus only on an individual’s ability to meet occupational and military specialty requirements. It adds a new statutory provision to title 10 defining key terms: “gender identity,” “sex” (including pregnancy, sex characteristics such as intersex traits, and sex stereotypes), and “sex stereotype.” The bill records congressional findings about historical steps toward inclusion in the military and states a policy preference that service members be evaluated, advanced, and assigned based on merit, fitness, capability, and performance free from the listed forms of discrimination. It does not specify funding, remedies, or an effective date in the provided text.

• Adds a new federal prohibition against DoD discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
• Makes the non-discrimination rule subject to military qualification standards tied to job-specific ability and performance.
• Provides statutory definitions for “gender identity,” “sex,” and “sex stereotype,” with sex explicitly covering pregnancy and sex characteristics (including intersex traits).
• Affirms a policy preference that service members be judged on merit, fitness, capability, and performance, free from listed forms of discrimination.
• Applies only within the Department of Defense and to members of the Armed Forces (personnel-focused, not a general federal workplace law).
• Does not include specified funding, enforcement mechanisms, or an effective date in the provided text.
• Codifies protections that may require updates to DoD regulations, training, personnel evaluations, and qualification standards.