Community Conversation => Military Veterans Confab => Topic started by: Jessica_Rose on June 13, 2026, 03:10:47 PM Return to Full Version
Title: Trump admin eliminates health care programs for LGBTQ+ veterans
Post by: Jessica_Rose on June 13, 2026, 03:10:47 PM
Post by: Jessica_Rose on June 13, 2026, 03:10:47 PM
Trump admin eliminates health care programs for LGBTQ+ veterans
https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-abandons-lgbtq-veterans
Christopher Wiggins (13 June 2026)
The Department of Veterans Affairs has ordered health facilities nationwide to eliminate gender identity-based initiatives and strip the LGBTQ+ designation from a network of medical coordinators created to help LGBTQ+ veterans navigate care, according to an internal memorandum obtained by The Advocate.
The June 12 directive, signed by Veterans Health Administration Under Secretary for Health John J. Bartrum, the VA official who oversees the nation's largest integrated health care system, is the latest move by the Trump administration to remove references to LGBTQ+ and transgender identities from federal programs. It also raises new questions about the future of a specialized support network the VA created to address documented disparities affecting LGBTQ+ people who served their country and earned medical care at the agency.
Medical professionals at U.S.-based VA hospitals who reviewed the memorandum told The Advocate that staff members immediately began expressing concern. "People are worried this will mean loss of programming and services that are uniquely designed for LGBTQ+ veterans," one provider at a VA medical center told The Advocate under the condition of anonymity to speak freely.
https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-abandons-lgbtq-veterans
Christopher Wiggins (13 June 2026)
The Department of Veterans Affairs has ordered health facilities nationwide to eliminate gender identity-based initiatives and strip the LGBTQ+ designation from a network of medical coordinators created to help LGBTQ+ veterans navigate care, according to an internal memorandum obtained by The Advocate.
The June 12 directive, signed by Veterans Health Administration Under Secretary for Health John J. Bartrum, the VA official who oversees the nation's largest integrated health care system, is the latest move by the Trump administration to remove references to LGBTQ+ and transgender identities from federal programs. It also raises new questions about the future of a specialized support network the VA created to address documented disparities affecting LGBTQ+ people who served their country and earned medical care at the agency.
Medical professionals at U.S.-based VA hospitals who reviewed the memorandum told The Advocate that staff members immediately began expressing concern. "People are worried this will mean loss of programming and services that are uniquely designed for LGBTQ+ veterans," one provider at a VA medical center told The Advocate under the condition of anonymity to speak freely.
Title: Re: Trump admin eliminates health care programs for LGBTQ+ veterans
Post by: Lori Dee on June 13, 2026, 04:36:42 PM
Post by: Lori Dee on June 13, 2026, 04:36:42 PM
This is confusing.
The VHA Directive 1341 was already rescinded. It did leave in place hormone treatment and mental health services, provided we were already receiving that care.
https://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=12188
Under that order, they removed all signs, pins, and brochures concerning anything LGBTQ+, reassigned all the LGBTQ+ Care Coordinators to other positions, and enacted "Snitch On Your Coworker" Policies. My therapist has told me that I cannot get any letters recommending surgery and that they will not document anything gender-related in my medical records. Instead, I am being seen for PTSD only, while we proudly display our Pride Flag pins privately in her office.
This sounds like they are already removing ALL treatments, but this is not the case.
Other sources state that this is basically the same policy, just more strictly enforced:
Key Impacts of the Directive
Redesignation of Personnel: Specialized "LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators" are stripped of the LGBTQ+ designation. They are rebranded simply as "Care Coordinators," tasked with assisting all veterans. Facilities have 30 days to rewrite these role descriptions.
Removal of Messaging: All VA medical centers and offices must scrub websites, SharePoint sites, local policies, forms, and internal or external training materials of references to LGBTQ+ and transgender identities.
Resource Restrictions: The memo explicitly bans the use of government resources for class-specific expenditures, targeted training, meetings, or promotional activities.
Uniform Standards: Local dress codes and attire policies at VHA facilities must be updated to comply strictly with the new Executive Orders.
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Except that these Executive Orders are not new. The VA moves at the speed of government. There have been many allies embedded within the VA Healthcare Networks, so this appears to be a crackdown on them.
Remember how your government treats its veterans when you go to cast your ballot.
The VHA Directive 1341 was already rescinded. It did leave in place hormone treatment and mental health services, provided we were already receiving that care.
https://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=12188
Under that order, they removed all signs, pins, and brochures concerning anything LGBTQ+, reassigned all the LGBTQ+ Care Coordinators to other positions, and enacted "Snitch On Your Coworker" Policies. My therapist has told me that I cannot get any letters recommending surgery and that they will not document anything gender-related in my medical records. Instead, I am being seen for PTSD only, while we proudly display our Pride Flag pins privately in her office.
This sounds like they are already removing ALL treatments, but this is not the case.
Other sources state that this is basically the same policy, just more strictly enforced:
Key Impacts of the Directive
Redesignation of Personnel: Specialized "LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators" are stripped of the LGBTQ+ designation. They are rebranded simply as "Care Coordinators," tasked with assisting all veterans. Facilities have 30 days to rewrite these role descriptions.
Removal of Messaging: All VA medical centers and offices must scrub websites, SharePoint sites, local policies, forms, and internal or external training materials of references to LGBTQ+ and transgender identities.
Resource Restrictions: The memo explicitly bans the use of government resources for class-specific expenditures, targeted training, meetings, or promotional activities.
Uniform Standards: Local dress codes and attire policies at VHA facilities must be updated to comply strictly with the new Executive Orders.
-------------
Except that these Executive Orders are not new. The VA moves at the speed of government. There have been many allies embedded within the VA Healthcare Networks, so this appears to be a crackdown on them.
Remember how your government treats its veterans when you go to cast your ballot.
Title: Re: Trump admin eliminates health care programs for LGBTQ+ veterans
Post by: Devlyn on June 13, 2026, 04:42:50 PM
Post by: Devlyn on June 13, 2026, 04:42:50 PM
They'll probably reverse all of this once "Prancing Pete" comes out. 😀
Title: Re: Trump admin eliminates health care programs for LGBTQ+ veterans
Post by: Jen T. on June 13, 2026, 06:27:39 PM
Post by: Jen T. on June 13, 2026, 06:27:39 PM
Quote from: Lori Dee on Today at 04:36:42 PMUnder that order, they removed all signs, pins, and brochures concerning anything LGBTQ+, reassigned all the LGBTQ+ Care Coordinators to other positions, and enacted "Snitch On Your Coworker" Policies.
Removal of Messaging: All VA medical centers and offices must scrub websites, SharePoint sites, local policies, forms, and internal or external training materials of references to LGBTQ+ and transgender identities.
In other words, "We're going to tell everyone these people that we don't like simply don't exist and that will make them all go away."
The death of liberty under an authoritarian regime... and half the country voted for it.