“The only thing deficient is any medical science behind this decision,” AMA President Barbara McAneny told the AP.

For its part, the Defense Department claims its use of the word “deficiencies” is military jargon for when an individual fails to meet standards to maintain a lethal force, according to Lt. Col. Carla Gleason, a department spokeswoman. It is not intended to be a reference to gender dysphoria that transgender individuals may experience.

Under the new policy, a service member can be discharged if they have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria or if he or she is “unable or unwilling to adhere to all applicable standards, including the standards associated with his or her biological sex, or seeks transition to another gender.”

But the policy also says that those individuals founding not to have met those standards cannot be discharged until after they have been “formally counseled on his or her failure to adhere to such standards” and been given an opportunity to correct their behavior.

“They can dress it up in whatever words they want, but when you carefully look at this, it’s total disrespect for these human beings by saying a core piece of them is not acceptable,” former acting U.S. Army Surgeon Gen. Gale Pollock said.