LGBTQ+ veterans deserve more than a thank you. These groups deliver for them

Years after the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” LGBTQ+ service members and veterans still face threats to their benefits, healthcare, and right to serve. For transgender Americans in particular, serving their country has offered no guarantee that their country will stand by them.The fight for equality extends beyond the right to wear the uniform. It includes finding safe housing after leaving the military, accessing healthcare, securing earned benefits, and building community with people who understand both military life and LGBTQ+ identity.These eight organizations meet those needs through legal advocacy, emergency assistance, peer support, and other services, working to ensure that LGBTQ+ service members and veterans receive the support and recognition they deserve.​SPARTA PrideThis nonprofit supports transgender service members and veterans through peer support, advocacy, and grants, including emergency financial assistance. The group also works with lawmakers and educates the public about transgender Americans’ military service. Under President Donald Trump’s administration, that work has included tracking involuntary separations under the latest trans military ban.American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER)Founded in 1990, when openly gay service members were barred from serving, American Veterans for Equal Rights provides a community where LGBTQ+ veterans can take pride in both their service and their identities. The national organization’s chapters connect veterans across the country. After fighting for two decades to end discriminatory service restrictions, including “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the group continues advocating for transgender service members, whose exclusion did not end with that policy’s repeal.Modern Military Association of AmericaFormed in 2019, the Modern Military Association of America builds on decades of advocacy by its predecessor organizations, including the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, OutServe, and the