Staff Reports
This week, the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), requesting financial assistance for sex-change surgeries for transgender veterans. The lawsuit demands that the VA cover the associated expenses. The TAVA cautioned the VA in a letter dated November 1st, 2008, which was distributed on 'Transgender Day of Remembrance,' that failure to commence coverage for these surgical procedures could result in legal repercussions.
Veterans Affairs Sued to Provide ‘Gender-Affirming’ Surgery to 163,000 Transgender Vets via @gatewaypundit https://t.co/sDZBU5PLLu
— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) January 28, 2024
Rebekka Eshler, president of TAVA, elaborated: "Today marks three years since President Biden lifted the military's prohibition on transgender service members. However, upon our discharge from military service, we are denied equivalent healthcare provisions by the VA in comparison to our fellow veterans. Presently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has been presented with the lawsuit. Natalie Kastner, a TAVA member, recounted her personal experience, stating that the lack of gender-confirmation surgery provided by the VA has been a greater source of peril for her than her military service.
Desperate, she even attempted to conduct the surgery herself at home, an endeavor that ultimately resulted in her visit to the emergency room. Currently, the VA covers the majority of transition-related interventions, with the exception of surgical procedures. However, active duty service members are covered for these operations. The TAVA contends that the VA's response to their petition, which was initially submitted in 2016, has been delayed for nearly eight years, which violates the Administrative Procedure Act's mandate for prompt decisions. Prior to this, VA Secretary Denis McDonough promised that any transgender veteran who desires gender confirmation surgery could receive it. The implementation of these operations is anticipated to occur within the coming months.
