{"id":325,"date":"2026-06-23T19:20:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=325"},"modified":"2026-06-23T19:20:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:20:51","slug":"va-redesignates-lgbtq-care-coordinators-and-limits-further-gender-ideology-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=325","title":{"rendered":"VA redesignates LGBTQ+ care coordinators and limits further \u2018gender-ideology\u2019 services"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Veterans Affairs\u00a0Department iis moving to further restrict services for LGBTQ+ retired servicemembers, with the dedicated care coordinators for these veterans set to be redesignated as part of a new directive aimed at limiting activities that the agency says conflict with White House mandates.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Inside the Ford White House years that shaped Alan Greenspan\u2019s idea of public service<\/a><\/p>\n

In a June 12 memo titled \u201cReiterating Executive Order Compliance Responsibilities\u201d \u2014 a copy of which was obtained by Nextgov\/FCW<\/em> \u2014 VA said it is prohibiting agency resource allocation that \u201cdiverts from merit-based, mission-focused operations.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The memo was signed by John Bartrum, under secretary for health for the Veterans Health Administration, the VA\u2019s healthcare arm. VHA officials have 14 days to confirm in writing that all noncompliant activities have ceased.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Advocate first reported news of the directive on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This memo says these steps include restricting the use of \u201cVHA funds, official time, facilities or resources\u201d being used for \u201cany activities promoting gender-ideology or gender-identity,\u201d as well as requiring VA facilities to ensure \u201cthat local policies, SharePoint sites, communications, websites, and training materials\u201d comply with the presidential directives. Another section says \u201cuniform standards and attire policies\u201d must also comply with the White House guidance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The most notable change, however, redesignates \u201cLGBTQ+ care coordinators\u201d as simply \u201ccare coordinators\u201d who will be \u201cdedicated to facilitating VA health and benefits for all Veterans, regardless of race, color, creed, sex, or sexual orientation,\u201d the memo states.<\/p>\n

VA\u2019s website, as of June 18, says that there is an LGBTQ+ care coordinator \u201cin every VA health care system.\u201d These personnel act as care advocates for LGBTQ+ veterans, including by helping them to access programs and services to meet their needs. Roughly one million veterans are estimated to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and\/or transgender.<\/p>\n

Memo expands on previous admin orders<\/strong><\/p>\n

Four current and former VA employees who have worked with LGBTQ+ veterans told Nextgov\/FCW<\/em> they were concerned that the administration\u2019s moves jeopardize the well-being of a community that already experiences higher rates of discrimination and suicidal ideation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They also cited confusion about the latest memo and previous guidance, noting that there has often been a level of ambiguity when it comes to implementing the administration\u2019s requirements facility-by-facility and how all of these moves will impact VA\u2019s overall LGBTQ+ Health Program.<\/p>\n

On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order recognizing male and female as the only two sexes and limiting federal funds from being used \u201cto promote gender ideology,\u201d as well as another order terminating federal government diversity, equity and inclusion programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s gender-focused order previously led to the VA adjusting its policies to comply with the directive, with the department announcing in March 2025 that \u201cit will phase out medical treatments\u201d for transgender veterans. That edict included a carveout for veterans already receiving such care from VA and for those who were \u201creceiving such care from the military as part of and upon their separation from military service and they are eligible for VA health care.\u201d<\/p>\n

One current VA employee, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, said LGBTQ+ veterans were already experiencing adverse mental health outcomes from implementation of the administration\u2019s prior orders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve had some challenges with people needing to go to the hospital and being a little less mentally stable because of news and fears of what could happen next, and we’ve had to develop a lot more support services,\u201d that person said.<\/p>\n

VA\u2019s moves, as well as ambiguity over how to effectively implement previous memos, have also frustrated LGBTQ+ care coordinators and even pushed some out the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Jim Flyzik helped transform government IT from back-office function to mission enabler<\/a><\/p>\n

Renae DeLucia worked as an LGBTQ+ care coordinator at the VA Hampton health care system in Virginia before leaving her position last month. She said VA\u2019s previous directives were \u201ca big factor in my decision to quit because I do what I do to help LGBTQ+ veterans, and I felt like I wasn’t being able to do the job that I was hired for with all the restrictions in place.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeLucia also cited a lack of clarity with previous guidance issued by the department, saying VA would release memos \u201cabout how to actually put these things into practice and what is allowed and what is not, and guidance would come out months later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it was so confusing, and basically it allowed leaders with personal biases to do whatever they wanted,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some of that confusion, others have said, also extends to the latest directive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The current employee noted that the memo gives facilities 30 days to update the job descriptions for the care coordinators at each facility. They said one rumor that previously floated around the workforce last year was that the agency would direct facilities to remove transgender from the acronym and rework the role into more of an LGBQ-focused coordinator.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like maybe that’s what they’re trying to do here,\u201d they added, pointing to the memo\u2019s wording that the redesignated roles be for veterans \u201cregardless of race, color, creed, sex, or sexual orientation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several of the current and former VA employees also expressed concern about the future of several LGBTQ+ resources offered by the agency, including the PRIDE in All Who Served health education program. The 10-week closed group session helps to foster an open dialogue between LGBTQ+ veterans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As of June 18, VA\u2019s LGBT-focused webpage says research shows \u201cthat LGBTQ+ Veterans expect to experience discrimination in VHA facilities which may prevent engagement in care;\u201d and that \u201cdue to stigma, stress, and discrimination, LGBTQ+ Veterans as a group experience higher rates of several health conditions compared to non-LGBTQ+ Veterans, including higher risk for suicide.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an email to Nextgov\/FCW<\/em>, VA Press Secretary Quinn Slaven said the memo is the best source for answering media questions. He also said redesignating LGBTQ+ care coordinators as care coordinators is \u201cthe plan, full stop,\u201d and that the memo\u2019s request for officials to confirm within 14 days that any non-compliant activities have ceased also \u201capplies to anything you read on the website.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slaven did not address a question about whether the memo\u2019s mention of uniform standards and attire policies was in reference to requiring transgender individuals to dress in clothing that correlates with their genders at birth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One lawmaker and federal union have already raised concerns about the new memo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a statement to Nextgov\/FCW<\/em>, Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif. \u2014 ranking member of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee \u2014 said \u201cthe changes this VA is making will degrade care for LGBTQ+ veterans, who have specific health needs that VA has a clinical obligation to meet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGood medicine requires seeing the whole patient: their medical history, their risk factors, the full picture that determines the care they need,\u201d Takano added. \u201cStrip away what a clinician knows about a veteran’s history and risks, and you’re not treating them equally, you’re treating them blind, and you\u2019re putting veterans at risk. Every veteran should be able to walk into a VA, get the care they’ve earned through their service, and be treated with dignity and respect. Stripping away the tools clinicians use to deliver that care is a disservice to those who served, and I won’t stand for it.”<\/p>\n

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents VA personnel and other federal employees, also said in a Wednesday press release that the directive is \u201cdesigned to suppress the rights of veterans within the LGBTQ+ community and the federal employees tasked with ensuring their health and safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Federal acquisition overhaul moves from plan to proposed rules<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

VA gave officials 14 days to comply with a June 12 memo that calls for facilities to take additional steps in response to previous executive orders on gender and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-management"],"yoast_head":"\nVA redesignates LGBTQ+ care coordinators and limits further \u2018gender-ideology\u2019 services - Market Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/marketrelocationreport.com\/?p=325\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"VA redesignates LGBTQ+ care coordinators and limits further \u2018gender-ideology\u2019 services - 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