Equality Caucus Applauds Inclusion of Access to Gender Confirmation Surgeries for Veterans
DATE: June 23, 2021
CONTACT: laura.brantley@mail.house.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Equality Caucus Applauds Inclusion of Access to
Gender Confirmation Surgeries for Veterans
Washington, D.C. – The Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus welcomes the recent decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand its offerings to include gender confirmation surgeries.
"As a co-Chair of the Equality Caucus and Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I applaud the Biden Administration for taking this important step forward to create a more inclusive VA by beginning the rulemaking process to expand care to include gender confirmation surgeries," said Caucus Co-Chair Mark Takano (CA-41).
"This decision is a critical step in continuing to assess disparities that exist for our veterans and ensure that we build an equitable and welcoming VA for all. Veterans in need of gender confirmation surgery should not have to seek healthcare outside of the VA health system or navigate complicated processes to get the care they need.
"For many generations, LGBTQ Americans have stepped up to serve our country in uniform, even when discriminatory policies prevented them from serving openly and when facing higher rates of harassment just for being who they are. VA must be inclusive of all veterans who have served, regardless of their identity."
Please contact Shawn Gaylord at 202-257-8416 or shawn.gaylord@mail.house.gov with press inquiries.
Founded in 2008, the mission of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus is to promote equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Caucus, which is led by the nine openly LGBTQ+ members of the House of Representatives, is strongly committed to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. and around the world.