Gender-diverse Australian sailors barred from US submarines despite Aukus deal, documents reveal
The Guardian reports that internal Australian defence documents show transgender and non-binary sailors are barred from nuclear submarine training under the Aukus program because US policy, tightened under Pete Hegseth and a 2025 Trump executive order, applies to personnel training on American boats. Rear Admiral Tish van Stralen says the navy seeks alternative paths, possibly in the UK, which has "more liberal policies."
