March 15, 2025

Ranking Member Takano Slams VA’s Latest Attack on Trans & Intersex Veterans

­­­WASHINGTON — Ranking Member Mark Takano, who also serves as Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, released the following statement after the Veterans Health Administration rescinded a directive that ensured respectful delivery of healthcare to transgender and intersex Veterans:

“The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is supposed to ensure that every veteran is respected and supported after their military service—yet VA leadership is abandoning that mission and allowing veterans to be a pawn in the President’s cruel political games.

VA’s decision to rescind its directive on providing healthcare for transgender and intersex veterans and VA’s announcement that it will be taking additional steps to undertake rulemaking to revise the care offered to transgender veterans are both shameful and cruel.

The Veterans Health Administration should be focused on supporting and providing quality healthcare to all our veterans, not furthering Republicans’ obsessive attacks on the rights, dignity, and existence of the transgender community. I want to make it clear to every trans, nonbinary, and intersex veteran: my Democratic colleagues in Congress and I value your sacrifices and service to our nation. We are—and will keep—fighting for you, because you matter and deserve the same rights and treatment as every other veteran and American.”

BACKGROUND:

On March 14, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) rescinded VHA Directive 1341(4), Providing Health Care for Transgender and Intersex Veterans, which sets VHA policy “for the respectful delivery of health care to transgender and intersex veterans who are enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system or are otherwise eligible for VA care.”  

The absence of the policy could result in varying access to and quality of medical care for transgender and intersex veterans.  The rescission memo also stated that “the VA will conduct a comprehensive review of care with respect to trans-identifying Veterans and will undergo the rulemaking process to revise the medical benefits package as deemed necessary."

The rescinded Directive established VHA policy “that staff provide clinically appropriate, comprehensive, Veteran centered care with respect and dignity to enrolled or otherwise eligible transgender and intersex Veterans, including but not limited to hormonal therapy, mental health care, preoperative evaluation, and medically necessary post-operative and long-term care following gender-affirming surgery.” It also required VA providers to use a veteran’s preferred name and pronouns, a matter of common decency and respect.

Among other provisions, the Directive outlined the specific responsibilities for providing quality care to transgender and intersex veterans of various positions at VA, including the Under Secretary for Health and relevant Assistant Under Secretaries, the Executive Director of the LGBTQ+ Health Program, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) Directors and LGBTQ+ coordinators, and VA facility leadership and LGBTQ+ care coordinators.  It also included guidance on recommended staff training on transgender and intersex health and other educational resources.

The Directive further included questions and answers and additional guidance for LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators regarding, among other provisions, how to create a safe and affirming environment throughout the VA medical facility. 

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