An underground movement among U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors is emerging in response to the Trump administration's withdrawal of gender-affirming care for transgender veterans. Despite fears of retaliation and harassment, some medical professionals are discreetly continuing to provide necessary care for their patients. This initiative has been compared to historical repressive measures, indicating a serious concern for the health and rights of transgender veterans. Notably, recent policy changes have significantly restricted care, leading to a pushback among dedicated VA staff advocating for their patients' welfare.
In whispered hallway conversations and encrypted texts, and with rainbow pins discreetly clipped to lanyards, an underground resistance is taking shape within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
This is Lavender Scare 2.0,” said a senior VA doctor. “We’re being surveilled. We’re told to report each other for using the word ‘transgender.’ But we’re resisting - strategically, quietly - because our patients’ lives are on the line.
President Donald Trump's return to power has brought the end of nearly every trans-inclusive health policy enacted during the Biden administration.
He rolled back dignity protections, which allowed trans vets to use gendered facilities that correspond to their gender identity.
Collection
[
|
...
]