The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued a directive that has sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ veteran community. On June 12, Veterans Health Administration Under Secretary for Health John J. Bartrum signed a memorandum ordering the removal of gender identity-based initiatives from VA health facilities nationwide. This move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reshape VA policies affecting LGBTQ+ veterans.
The memorandum instructs VA facilities to comply with President Donald Trump‘s executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Among the changes outlined, LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators are to be redesignated simply as Care Coordinators. This directive has raised serious concerns about the future of specialized support networks designed to address the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ veterans.
Impact on Critical Programs
Medical professionals at U.S.-based VA hospitals have expressed immediate concern over the potential loss of programming and services uniquely designed for LGBTQ+ veterans. Programs like PRIDE in All Who Served and CBT-PRISM could be at risk under the new guidance. PRIDE in All Who Served is a 10-week health education and support program recognized as a best practice by the VA. It has been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, suicide risk, and identity-related stigma among participants, while increasing social connectedness and engagement with care.
CBT-PRISMan affirmative mental health intervention, adapts cognitive behavioral therapy to address the effects of stigma, discrimination, and minority stress on LGBTQ+ veterans. Both programs were developed in response to documented disparities affecting LGBTQ+ veterans, which the VA has repeatedly acknowledged. The memorandum explicitly states that all DEI/DEIA programs, gender-identity based and gender-ideology based initiatives, and any activities promoting gender identity or gender ideology must be eliminated.
The Role of LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators
For a decade, the VA has maintained a nationwide network of LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators. Established in 2016, these coordinators play a critical role in ensuring culturally competent, veteran-centered care. Each VA medical facility is required to appoint at least one coordinator, with dedicated administrative time based on facility size. The coordinators’ responsibilities extend far beyond patient navigation; they advocate for LGBTQ+ veterans, identify gaps in care, educate staff, build relationships with community organizations, and promote affirming environments.
The VA’s own LGBTQ+ Health Program website continues to promote the infrastructure targeted by the directive. It describes coordinators as resources who help create a safe and respectful environmenteducate staff, spread knowledge about LGBTQ+ veteran services, and build networks of allies and community partners. The program’s mission is to provide national leadership through policy, education, advocacy, and innovative data-driven programs to promote LGBTQ+ veteran health and well-being.
Broader Implications
The latest directive is part of a series of actions by the Trump administration reshaping VA policy for LGBTQ+ veterans. In, the VA quietly rescinded VHA Directive 1341, a policy governing care for transgender and intersex veterans. Subsequent reporting has documented restrictions on gender-affirming surgery referrals and concerns over LGBTQ+ visibility inside VA facilities. The memorandum gives Veterans Integrated Service Networks, medical center directors, and program offices 14 days to certify compliance.
What remains unclear is whether the administration intends to preserve the functions of LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators while removing the LGBTQ+ designation, or whether the redesignation is the first step toward dismantling the program itself. The VA has stated that all veterans will continue to be served and that programs explicitly authorized by Congress remain unaffected. However, the future of specialized support for LGBTQ+ veterans hangs in the balance.
