WILMINGTON, Del. — The Department of Veterans Affairs is moving to offer transgender veterans gender confirmation surgery.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough made the announcement Saturday at a Pride Month event in Orlando, Florida.
McDonough said in prepared remarks that the move was “the right thing to do,” and that it was part of an effort to overcome a “dark history” of discrimination against LGBTQ service members.
The move is just the first step in what’s likely to be a years-long federal rulemaking process to expand VA health benefits to cover the surgery.