Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it is closing a gap in survivor benefits for certain survivors of LGBTQ+ Veterans - specifically, for those who were unable to wed until the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, and who, therefore, were not married to their now-deceased Veteran spouses for long enough to qualify for survivor benefits.
It’s a celebration of more than one million lesbian, gay, and bisexual Veterans in the United States. It’s a celebration of the thousands of VA employees who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. It’s a celebration of a country and VA that have come a long way toward equity and equality. And it is so very important.
The Department of Veterans Affairs began including gender identifiers in its national medical record system in December 2021 to help VA providers better understand and meet the health care needs of Veterans.
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