Pete Hegseth fires US navy trans healthcare specialist following Libs of TikTok ‘tip off’
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth (L) has fired a navy trans healthcare specialist. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth (L) has fired a navy trans healthcare specialist. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Secretary of war Pete Hegseth has fired a navy trans healthcare specialist, Janelle Marra, after being “tipped off” by Libs of TikTok.
The right-wing social media account, run by founder Chaya Raichik, has regularly attacked the LGBTQ+ community over the years.
Their latest target was commander Janelle Marra whose Defence Health Agency bio revealed that she “began her naval service through a health professions scholarship programme in 2004”.
She was a senior medical officer, the deputy medical director of transgender care for the navy and the director of medical services for expeditionary medical facility bravo, the bio showed.
In response to a post that read: “I’m sad to report that DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] isn’t fully dead yet [at the Department of Defense], meet @USNavy commander Janelle Marra,” Libs of TikTok took to X/Twitter to say, “Yikes. This she/her navy commander is apparently a medical director for ‘transgender healthcare’ at a naval centre in California. Can you please look into this, Pete Hegseth.”
The post has been viewed more than 10.8 million times, reposted by 7,000 people and liked 20,000 times.
Yikes
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 4, 2025
This she/her Navy Commander is apparently a medical director for “transgender healthcare” at a Naval center in California
Can you please look into this? @PeteHegseth @DODResponse https://t.co/5im1ocJzSC pic.twitter.com/eFy93JsMca
A few hours later, Hegseth responded: “Pronouns updated: she/her/fired.”
Pronouns UPDATED: She/Her/Fired https://t.co/j8nboQZO9Z
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) September 5, 2025
On his return to power in January, president Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at eliminating DEI initiatives from the federal government and military, and shortly after being approved by congress, Hegseth, whose job title changed from secretary of defence last week, said he would not tolerate equality programmes at the Pentagon.
Former Fox News presenter Hegseth has said women should not serve in combat roles, and has made several controversial statements, including claiming Michigan representative Rashida Tlaib had a “Hamas agenda”, and that “the dumbest phrase on planet Earth in the military is ‘our diversity is our strength’.”
“She always went the extra mile to take care of others”
Responding to the sacking, astronautical engineer and author Bree Fram wrote on LinkedIn: “Janelle Marra is an outstanding navy doctor who volunteered to serve and has done far more than this country asked of her. She always went the extra mile to take care of others.
“In 2018, she was named the top female doctor in the military health system. She has served as a regimental surgeon for marine units and as the senior medical officer at several clinics. Thousands of military members are living better lives today thanks to Dr Marra.
“Others are alive thanks to her. And this is the thanks she gets from her nation?”
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