A 17-year Navy veteran has been removed from her leadership position after her LinkedIn profile was flagged on social media for including pronouns and a transgender healthcare reference.
According to Military.com, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Janelle Marra is now under investigation for allegedly violating social media policy following attention from a right-wing activist account and subsequent action by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Marra, who served as medical services director of Expeditionary Medical Facility 150 Bravo in San Diego, was targeted when the "Libs of TikTok" account on X highlighted her profile on September 4. The post specifically called attention to Marra's inclusion of pronouns and her listed title of "Deputy Medical Director for Transgender Healthcare," tagging Secretary Hegseth in the process.
High-Level Response Draws Criticism From Family
Hegseth responded to the social media post the same day with a message stating: "Pronouns UPDATED: She/Her/Fired." While Marra has not been officially terminated and continues working as a physician at Navy Medical Center San Diego clinics, a Navy official confirmed she was removed from leadership due to "loss of confidence in her ability to lead."
The Department of Defense, which President Trump has requested Congress rename as the Department of War, defended Hegseth's public comments about Marra. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson issued a statement saying, "The War Department is not in the business of radical gender theory. We are in the business of warfighting."
Cassandra Marra, the commander's wife, expressed shock at the targeting of her spouse by high-ranking government officials. "I never thought that somebody so high in government would be willing to target individual people," she said, adding that the experience has been deeply unsettling for their family.
Social Media Policy Under Increased Scrutiny
This incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of military personnel's social media activities, with multiple service members reportedly under investigation for posts critical of conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his recent assassination. Many of these cases were also publicly flagged by accounts such as Libs of TikTok.
The Navy confirmed it is "actively reviewing reports" of sailors whose social media activity is "misaligned with the Department's current social media guidance." However, officials did not elaborate on the specific guidelines currently in effect.
A Navy social media handbook does outline expectations for online conduct, stating that active-duty sailors can express personal views on public issues while prohibiting partisan political activity. The handbook specifically mentions that sailors cannot post links to political parties or campaigns.
Medical Career And Patient Impact
Marra has built an extensive medical career in San Diego, completing her internship and residency in family medicine at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton in 2011. She later completed a fellowship in primary care sports medicine and has experience presenting on healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community and women.
One of Marra's current patients, Parker Moore, a nuclear reactor electronics technician being separated from the Navy under the Trump administration's transgender service ban, praised her care. "She treated me like a real person and not a number," Moore said, noting that Marra doesn't automatically attribute all health issues to being transgender-related.
Since the controversy began, Marra's LinkedIn profile has been modified to remove her profile photo and leadership positions. It now includes a disclaimer stating, "This profile does not represent the opinions of the DoD, DHA, Navy or other government entities."
Policy Changes And Uncertain Future
The role of "deputy medical director for transgender health care" that appeared on Marra's profile apparently no longer exists, if it ever did officially. A Defense Health Agency spokesperson stated, "The Department does not have a transgender health center. It was considered last year but the idea was abandoned."
The Trump administration has implemented significant policy changes affecting LGBTQ+ service members, particularly transgender individuals. These include an executive order banning transgender troops and another preventing transgender veterans from receiving gender-affirming care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Earlier this year, the Air Force briefly issued a memo prohibiting the use of "preferred pronouns" in official communications before rescinding it. A 2024 law now prohibits department secretaries from either requiring or prohibiting armed forces members or civilian employees from using personal pronouns in official correspondence.
