Transgender veterans have sent a petition to the Department of Veterans Affairs demanding the feds cover sex-change operations as part and parcel of their medical offerings. “I served my country with pride and I should be treated just like my fellow veterans who have access to the treatment they need,” said Dee Fulcher, one of the petitioners, the Hill reported. Lambda Legal joined with the Transgender Law Center to file the petition on behalf of Fulcher and another transgender who served in the military, Gio Silva.
Other petitioners include the Transgender American Veterans Association, a group that boasts 2,200 or more members. VA benefits already give some care for transgenders, including hormone replacement therapy and before-after surgical attention. But the feds don’t cover mastectomies or implants for transgenders and this is what petitioners are fighting to receive. Their argument: The VA covers mastectomies and penile implants for veterans suffering cancer and injuries, so why not for transgenders as well? READ MORE
