2019-04-18 00:22:46
Though the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell lifted barriers for gay, lesbian and bisexual troops to serve openly in the military in 2011, LGBT members of the veteran community may still feel stigmatized—especially those who are transgender—which can deter them from seeking or accessing benefits they have earned through service.
DAV spoke with Dr. Michael Kauth, co-director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ LGBT program, to shed light on what the VA is doing to create a welcoming, safe environment for all veterans. (This interview has been edited for space. Visit dav.la/z4 to read the full interview transcript.)
Q. What is the VA’s official policy on LGBT veterans, and what is the goal for VA in serving this population?
The VA’s policy is, all veterans deserve respect and dignity. VA has a nondiscrimination patient care policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity and expression among the characteristics that we will not discriminate against. We have two health care policies that address the unique needs of this diverse population: a directive for transgender veterans and a directive for veterans who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. The overall goal is to serve all who served, do that in an affirming way and have VA be the provider of choice for all veterans.
Q. How is the VA working to break down stigma for LGBT veterans?
I’m very proud of the work we’re doing at the VA and the fact we have about 176 LGBT veteran care coordinators out on the field, on the front lines, working to change the culture in VA and make it a more welcoming place for LGBT veterans who come to our door. Generic environments are not welcoming to people who are sexual and gender minorities. That is not their space; it is the space for the majority culture. Sexual and gender minorities, like LGBT people, look to see visible signs and signals in the environment that they are expected and welcome there.
Q. Can you explain what transition care or support is available to veterans?
Every transgender individual’s transition journey is individualized, so the start is having a conversation with that individual about their particular transitioning goals. That transition pathway could involve being part of a social support group. It could involve socially transitioning. It could involve starting on hormone therapy. It could mean help in providing support documents so the veteran can change their identity documents. We don’t currently provide gender affirming surgery in the VA—we’re prohibited by regulation from providing those surgeries or paying for them in the community—but we do provide support letters for veterans who seek those surgeries outside the VA.
Q. How are VA providers trained to provide care in a way that addresses the needs of this population?
LGBT veterans, according to the research we see, come to the VA anticipating that they might experience discrimination. That creates a higher hurdle for us to demonstrate to LGBT veterans that they are welcome here and we can provide them high-quality care. Ways we can do that are ensuring health care providers ask about sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual health and social experiences that may involve exposure to violence at home. They can assess for the higher rates of health conditions that LGBT veterans might experience, including military sexual trauma, and then provide care to them within an affirming framework that recognizes that part of the contribution of these health conditions is living within an environment that stigmatizes who they are.
All veterans utilizing VA health care are encouraged to contact a patient experience officer if they feel their concerns are not being addressed by their treatment team. Sexual and gender minority veterans are also encouraged to seek assistance from an LGBT veteran care coordinator, located at every VA facility, to help get the care they need.
Published by Disabled American Veterans. View All Articles.
This page can be found at http://digital.dav.org/article/Serving+all+populations/3361053/582106/article.html.