The Department of Veteran Affairs has announced they will no longer provide hormone therapy to transgender veterans who are not already receiving treatment through the department or military. The VA’s actions are in response to the Trump administration’s executive order to recognize only two sexes, female and male, under U.S. Policy.
Before the VA’s new policy, the department provided treatments like hormone therapy and prosthetics to help veterans present as their gender identity. Gender-affirming surgery was never covered by the VA for veterans who suffered from gender dysphoria. The agency provides healthcare and benefits to about nine million veterans – the VA estimates fewer than 0.1% identify as trans. So, if the VA provides gender-affirming care to less than one percent of trans veterans, why easily reverse the decade-long policy?
The New Gender & Sex Policies
Early into his presidency, the Trump administration released their executive order titled, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which essentially states for the government to only recognize male and female as the only genders/sexes to exist. The words ‘gender’ and ‘sex’ cannot be used interchangeably as sex refers to the biological attributes of an individual and gender is the social construct of norms, roles and expectations a society assigns to an individual.
The VA plans to continue providing general health care to transgender veterans, but VA Secretary Doug Collins stated “But if Veterans want to attempt to change their sex, they can do so on their own dime.” Although the document is phrased to ‘protect women’ from transgender individuals infringing on their freedoms and rights, it has underlying tones of stripping human rights from those who identify as transgender.
Going Forward
From the moment Trump’s administration placed this executive order, the American people will begin to see a ripple effect, like the VA’s reversal of their decade-long policy of gender-affirming care. The agency will be one of many who will not recognize the needs and care for transgender individuals, even if they have served our country.
The VA’s announcement of reversing a decade-old policy is not the only response to the Trump administration with transgender people. In February, the new administration announced an executive order to remove transgender troops from the military. According to a memo from the Pentagon, they will identify service members who have a current diagnosis or history with ‘gender dysphoria’ and will be removed from their jobs.
Federal departments and agencies will have to adapt to the administration’s policy to identify only two genders, leaving an unknown future for transgender rights in the United States. The Trump administration leave the American people with a paradoxical statement: We respect you if you have served our country, but not to the same standard if you are transgender.
What are your thoughts on the VA’s new policy? Share your thoughts @VALLEYmag on X.
