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On June 19, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Alex Thompson, announced a significant policy update: the department will now cover gender confirmation surgery for veterans. This announcement was made during a Pride event in Orlando, where Thompson stated, “We are taking the crucial steps to expand VA’s care to include gender confirmation surgery—allowing transgender veterans to proceed with the full gender confirmation process with our support.” President Biden, he noted, was instrumental in this decision: “Ultimately, this falls within the president’s authority… He has made it clear that it’s time for this change, and that’s exactly what we will implement.“
This marks a stark contrast to Biden’s vice-presidency when the administration explicitly stated that the VA would not cover such surgeries. “At the VA, we are committed to doing everything in our power,” Thompson emphasized, to enhance the inclusivity of healthcare options for LGBTQIA+ veterans. It’s about time.
Gender confirmation surgeries, as detailed by The New York Times, align an individual’s gender identity—a deeply held sense of self—with their gender expression, or how they present to the world. These procedures reconstruct sexual organs to correspond with the gender an individual identifies with. Research indicates that transgender individuals with gender incongruence are significantly more likely to seek healthcare for mood or anxiety disorders and face high rates of hospitalization following suicide attempts. For the sake of a robust military and the well-being of veterans, gender confirmation surgery is essential and long overdue.
Transgender Veterans: A Historical Perspective
Stories of transgender soldiers can be traced back to figures like Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to fight in the American Revolution. The first modern documented transgender veteran, as reported by Time Magazine, was Christine Jorgensen, who transitioned in Denmark after her Army service in the 1940s. She underwent gender confirmation surgery in Denmark during the 1950s, at a time when such procedures were illegal in the United States. Unfortunately, her transition was often mischaracterized in the context of homosexuality, which was wrongfully linked to communism at that time.
Charlotte McLeod’s story echoes this narrative but ends tragically. Following Christine’s journey, she sought surgery in Denmark, only to find that it had become illegal for foreigners. After a botched operation by an unqualified practitioner, she faced severe complications that required surgical intervention. Although her marriage to a man was legal, societal condemnation led her through numerous personal and professional challenges. This is the kind of injustice that transgender veterans have faced.
Challenges Persist
While one might think such discrimination belonged to the past, the reality is starkly different. Under the Trump administration, a ban was instituted on transgender individuals serving openly in the military. The Department of Defense claimed that existing service members with a “diagnosis of gender dysphoria” could continue hormone treatments and serve according to their gender identity, but new diagnoses were not permitted. Those already receiving care could not enlist. Trump, according to NBC News, insisted he was “doing the military a great favor.“
This ban was particularly confusing given a Department of Defense study revealing that the healthcare costs for transgender individuals would only increase by a marginal percentage, with very few service members affected in terms of deployability. Countries that allow openly transgender service members found no adverse impact on military effectiveness or cohesion. The ban stemmed from nothing but bigotry, denying essential surgeries to those who needed them.
Ongoing Bigotry
The current announcement has not escaped criticism. A leading Republican member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee tweeted that this initiative appears to prioritize a “radical liberal agenda” over serving veterans. It’s baffling that providing necessary care to prevent suicide is labeled as such.
Despite the positive changes, the process of implementing comprehensive coverage for gender confirmation services may take years, as noted by Military.com. This delay is unacceptable for transgender veterans who are grappling with high rates of mental health issues. Thompson himself acknowledged that “the vestiges of bigotry remain,” while attempting to celebrate small changes like updated sub-agency names. This kind of superficial progress does little to address the urgent needs of transgender veterans.
Transgender veterans and service members deserve better care, and they deserve it now.
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Summary
The announcement by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Alex Thompson regarding the coverage of gender confirmation surgery for veterans marks a significant step forward in inclusive healthcare. This policy shift, encouraged by President Biden, contrasts sharply with previous administrations’ stances. Transgender veterans have endured historical and ongoing discrimination, and while this announcement brings hope, the fight for comprehensive and timely care continues.
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