U.S. News
Veterans Affairs to offer gender confirmation surgery
- Transgender veterans can now “go through the full gender confirmation process with VA by their side,” Secretary Denis McDonough announced on Saturday.
- McDonough said that the decision is not only “the right to do” but can also save lives.
- He cited the higher rates of mental illness and suicidal thoughts among LGBTQ veterans.
In celebration of Pride Month, Secretary Denis McDonough has announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs will be offering gender confirmation surgery for transgender veterans.
McDonough made the announcement at Saturday’s event in Orlando. He said that the decision was “the right thing to do” to help overcome a “dark history” of discrimination against LGBTQ service members.
It’s the start of what will likely be a years-long federal rulemaking process to expand VA health benefits to cover the surgery.
In the meantime, the VA will be developing the “capacity to meet the surgical needs” of transgender vets, who can now “go through the full gender confirmation process with VA by their side.”
The decision was based on the “recommendation of our clinicians,” said McDonough. “So this is a health care decision that has very real physical health care impacts as well as significant mental health impacts.”
“We’re making these changes not only because they are the right thing to do, but because they can save lives,” McDonough added.
He pointed out that LGBTQ veterans have a higher risk of mental illness and suicidal thoughts, along with a fear of discrimination that prevents them from seeking care.
According to The National Center for Transgender Equality, there are over 134,000 transgender veterans and more than 15,000 transgender individuals serving in the military today.
The Biden administration has made it a point to expand protections and benefits to transgender individuals in the military.
One of President Joe Biden’s first executive orders overturned a Trump administration ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.
In February, McDonough had the department’s policies reviewed to “ensure that transgender Veterans and employees do not face discrimination on the basis of their gender identity and expression.”
Source: Aol.com
Ratwrangler
June 21, 2021 at 12:07 pm
According to the government’s own numbers, there are at least 40,000 veterans that are homeless at any given moment. What is our Department of Veteran’s Affairs doing about them? The numbers also show that 1.53 million veterans are uninsured, and about two million cannot afford healthcare. What are we, as a nation, doing about this? Perhaps, in addition to offering elective surgeries to those serving in our military, we should also be offering proper help to those who did serve, and are now unable to support themselves. That time in service may very well be the main reason many cannot survive in society any longer. We really don’t know, because we seem to be ignoring them.
Brenda
June 21, 2021 at 1:00 pm
Rat wrangler, you are so right! How many transgenders take their lives compared to other mentally ill vets or the homeless vets or those who are struggling to adequately provide for their families and simply cannot handle the stress? I thin this decision by the VA is so out of reason.