The Human Rights Alliance is deeply troubled by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ decision to effectively phase out gender-affirming medical care for veterans diagnosed with gender dysphoria. These policy changes represent a profound betrayal of the very people who volunteered to serve and sacrifice for this country.
For years, transgender, intersex, and gender-diverse veterans were assured that they would receive medically necessary care through the VA healthcare system. Today, many of those same veterans are being told that the federal government no longer recognizes their healthcare needs as worthy of support. This is not a medical decision. It is a political one.
Under the new directives, the VA will no longer initiate cross-sex hormone therapy for most new patients, nor will it provide gender-affirming surgical care. Veterans already receiving treatment may continue under limited exceptions, as may some individuals transitioning directly from Department of Defense healthcare. However, for countless veterans seeking care for the first time, the door has now been slammed shut.
Equally alarming is the dismantling of support structures that previously helped LGBTQIA2S veterans navigate the healthcare system. The elimination of LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator titles sends a clear message that the unique needs of LGBTQIA2S veterans are no longer viewed as a priority. While these positions may continue under a generic title, the symbolic and practical impact of removing their specialized focus cannot be ignored.
The VA has also instructed medical professionals to cease providing referral letters and supporting documentation for veterans seeking gender-affirming surgeries outside the VA system. This creates yet another barrier to care, particularly for veterans living in rural communities or states where affirming healthcare providers are already scarce.
Perhaps most disturbing is the rescission of VHA Directive 1341, a policy that previously established standards for respectful treatment, non-discrimination, and access to care for transgender and intersex veterans. The removal of these protections creates uncertainty and fear among veterans who already face elevated rates of depression, anxiety, discrimination, housing instability, and suicide risk.
As an intersex and nonbinary person, I find this decision particularly heartbreaking. Intersex and transgender Americans have served honorably in every branch of the military. They have deployed into combat zones, cared for wounded service members, protected our nation, and upheld their oaths with courage and dignity. They deserve healthcare rooted in evidence-based medicine, not political ideology.
These actions are part of a broader national effort to erase transgender and intersex people from public life through administrative rule changes, executive actions, and attacks on healthcare access. We have seen this strategy unfold in schools, libraries, workplaces, and state legislatures. Now it has reached the healthcare system entrusted with caring for those who served.
The Human Rights Alliance believes that healthcare decisions belong between patients and their medical providers. The overwhelming consensus of major medical organizations continues to recognize gender-affirming care as safe, effective, and medically necessary for many patients experiencing gender dysphoria. Government officials should not be substituting political agendas for clinical judgment.
For veterans in New Mexico, these changes may have significant consequences. Many transgender and intersex veterans already face barriers related to geography, transportation, provider shortages, and economic hardship. Restricting access to care through the VA will force some veterans to seek expensive private treatment while leaving others with no realistic options at all.
We encourage affected veterans to remain connected to affirming community resources, legal advocacy organizations, and healthcare navigators. No veteran should have to face these challenges alone.
Our nation asks extraordinary sacrifices of its service members. The promise of care when they return home should not be conditional upon their gender identity. Veterans earned their healthcare through their service. They should not lose access to medically necessary treatment because of shifting political winds.
The Human Rights Alliance stands firmly with transgender, intersex, nonbinary, and all LGBTQIA2S veterans. We honor their service, affirm their dignity, and will continue advocating for a healthcare system that treats every veteran with the respect they deserve.
Love is stronger than fear. Dignity is stronger than discrimination. And no veteran should ever be abandoned by the nation they served.
M. A. D’Arrigo
HRA Board President