A small handful of veterans who claim to be “transgender” are filing a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), claiming that the agency is delaying their so-called “gender transition” surgeries and other procedures.
As reported by Fox News, the lawsuit is being filed on behalf of the veterans by the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA). TAVA President Bekky Eshler released a statement claiming, with no evidence, that “my transgender veterans…are trying to commit suicide because they can’t see themselves in their body.”
“We’ve been trying to be friendly with the VA,” Eshler continued. “We’ve worked with them really well. But at the end of the day, you got to keep your promises.”
The lawsuit comes almost three years after the Biden Administration said it would allow the VA to pay for gender transition surgeries and other transgender-related procedures. VA Secretary Denis McDonough made the announcement in June of 2021, shortly after Biden declared that he would reverse the ban on self-identifying “transgender” people serving in the military.
Back in November, TAVA warned that it would file a lawsuit if the VA did not approve certain surgeries fast enough. A petition was filed under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) back in 2016 first demanding such procedures be covered, and the conditions of the APA demand that agencies respond to such petitions “within a reasonable time.” Even though the VA did respond to the petition in December, TAVA was not satisfied with the answer, thus leading to the current lawsuit.
The VA issued a statement declining to comment on the lawsuit, and instead gave general remarks promising to “provide transgender veterans – and all veterans – with the world-class care and benefits they deserve.”
“We thank each and every one of these heroes for their service and sacrifice, and we will continue to work to serve them as well as they have served our nation,” VA spokesman Terrence Hayes added.