Trump admin ends LGBTQ+ veterans health program

[Jessica_Rose ✅]

"The VA's version of Florida's Don't Say Gay law": Trump admin ends LGBTQ+ veterans health program

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/the-vas-version-of-floridas-dont-say-gay-law-admin-ends-lgbtq-veterans-health-program/ 🔗

Molly Sprayregen (23 July 2026)

The Trump administration is ending its LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator program, which has helped LGBTQ+ veterans find competent, inclusive care for the past 10 years.

An internal email sent on July 22 and obtained by Advocate reportedly told LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators and regional LGBTQ+ leaders that the "LGBTQ+" would be removed from their titles and they would now have "an expanded focus on supporting all Veterans."

"National communications, processes, and procedures specific to the LGBTQ+ VCC program will be discontinued," the email stated. "Please save any resources that you would like to keep from the LGBTQ+ SharePoint."

The email, sent by the Veterans Health Administration acting assistant undersecretary for Health for Patient Care Services Mark A. Koeniger, also said the changes would take place within a week.

Koeniger said the update is in line with a June 12 memo from the VA ordering its facilities to adhere to the president's executive orders eliminating DEI programs and legal recognition of trans people. The memo instructed the VA to remove LGBTQ+ labels from staff and services in a way that will negatively impact resources previously provided specifically for LGBTQ+ veterans.

While the memo claimed that veterans will still be served in return for their service to their country and that programs that were established by Congressional approval won't be discontinued, those programs are unlikely to be able to function without acknowledging that they were designed for LGBTQ+ veterans.

[Devlyn ✅]

...from the VA ordering its facilities to adhere to the president's executive orders...

Executive orders can be ripped up by the next president immediately. Let's hope this is just temporary.

[Lori Dee ✅]

Executive orders can be ripped up by the next president immediately. Let's hope this is just temporary.

It won't be. Even if the EOs are rescinded, the VA Secretary can pretty much do what he wants.

In 2016, then Secretary McDonough stated at a news briefing that the VA was moving toward covering Gender Affirming Surgeries. They held a Public Comment Period as required to change a federal regulation, but never made a decision.

Eight years later (2024), it still hadn't happened. TAVA (Transgender American Veterans of America) filed a lawsuit demanding that the VA make a decision, or face another lawsuit claiming discrimination against transgender veterans. McDonough stalled as long as he could, then finally said, "The decision is No."

TAVA then filed another lawsuit claiming the VA was discriminating against transgender veterans, and only transgender veterans, by denying health treatments available to other veterans for other reasons. That was in 2024.

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