Trump ends care network for LGBTQ+ veterans, internal email shows. Providers condemn 'cruel erasure'

The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun dismantling the national infrastructure supporting its LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator program, ending specialized meetings and communications, archiving online resources, and converting employees into general care coordinators, according to an internal email obtained by The Advocate.The July 22 message shows the VA carrying out a broader directive issued last month to eliminate programs and positions focused on gender identity. It also contradicts assurances that employees said they received after the initial order that little would change beyond their job titles.Mark A. Koeniger, the Veterans Health Administration’s acting assistant under secretary for Health for Patient Care Services, informed LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators and regional LGBTQ+ leaders that the program’s specialized structure would begin winding down within a week.“In alignment with this directive, LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC) roles will transition to Care Coordinator positions, with an expanded focus on supporting all Veterans,” Koeniger wrote.The email cites a June 12 memorandum titled “Re-iterating Executive Order Compliance Responsibilities.” That memo, first reported by The Advocate, ordered the elimination of gender identity-based initiatives and the removal of the LGBTQ+ designation from the coordinator program.The new communication details what that transition means in practice.“The following changes will take place over the next week,” Koeniger wrote. Monthly coordinator calls, regional leadership calls, new coordinator orientations, and the program’s community of practice will be discontinued. “National communications, processes, and procedures specific to the LGBTQ+ VCC program will be discontinued,” the email says. Dedicated Microsoft Teams channels and LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator SharePoint materials will also be archived. Employees were instructed, “Please save any resources that you would like to kee