More than one
third of military veterans who currently identify as
transgender have experienced discrimination of some form
because of their gender identity, according to a study
conducted by the Transgender American Veterans
Association. Ten percent of respondents in the
survey of 827 veterans and active-duty personnel who are
transgender said they had been turned away from
Veterans Affairs medical facilities because of
their gender expression or identity. Other respondents
said they experienced lack of respect from VA doctors (22%),
nonmedical staff (21%), and nurses (13%).
Among respondents
who served in the military under the "don't ask,
don't tell" policy, 20% said an officer violated the rules
by asking them about their sexual orientation.
According to the
report, which was put together by the Palm Center at the
University of California, Santa Barbara, and released
Thursday, routine medical services such as pap smears,
mammograms, prostate exams, psychotherapy, and hormone
treatments are regularly denied to transgender
patients.
"I find it very
disturbing that our proud veterans are being turned
away by the VA because of who they are," TAVA president
Monica Helms said in a press release. "We served our
country honorably and proudly, and the VA medical
benefits we earned should not be denied or diminished
simply because of the direction our lives took after
discharge from active service." (The Advocate)
