[This is an incredibly stressful period for many of our Veterans, service members, and their families. If you need help, contact your clinician or call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988+1. If you prefer to speak with a Trans peer, we recommend the Trans Lifeline at 1-877-565-8860. More resources are linked at bottom of this page.]

On Wednesday, February 26, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Darin Selnick released an updated policy that effectively bans all Americans who are transgender from serving in the US Military [“Service Members and Applicants for Military Service who Have a Current Diagnosis or History of, or Exhibit Symptoms Consistent with, Gender Dysphoria”].

This policy demeans the honorable service of Trans service members and Veterans. It is baseless and insulting to all who serve.

Military policies that promote any discrimination not only harm military readiness overall by creating–not eliminating–distrust among the corps, but also harm our country’s service members by curtailing their careers and truncating their Veterans’ benefits.

For example, even with an Honorable discharge, VA primary care is only available to Veterans who have served more than 2 years of service. The GI Bill requires 3 years of service. By artificially ending service before these points, the DOD is breaking two of the most important promises we make to Americans when they raise their hand to serve.

Of course we know from past discriminatory policies, including DADT and President Trump’s earlier “Trans ban,” that these policies can cause mental health issues and that officially sanctioned discrimination leads to unwarranted bad paper discharges. A bad paper discharge may take years to correct, causing irreparable harm to the service member and easily costing our country tens-of-thousands in administrative costs alone.

These policies are already being fought in the courts, and we are confident the policies will be repealed.
– Glad Law and National Center for Lesbian Rights are representing clients in Talbott vs. Trump. Learn more and stay up-to-date here.
– Lambda Legal and Human Rights Campaign are representing clients in Shilling vs. Trump. Learn more and stay up-to-date here.

Connecticut Veterans Legal Center does not represent individuals who are currently serving. We recommend reaching out to the following organizations if you are interested in pursuing your rights through legal action:

– Glad Law – link
– National Center for Lesbian Rights – link
– Lambda Legal – link
– Human Rights Campaign – link

The following organizations also provide support for Trans service members, Veterans, and their families.

– Minority Veterans of America – link
– Modern Military Association – link
– PFLAG Military Communities – link

You can also find some information about your rights as an LGBTQ+ Veteran, along with a list of local resources, on our website here. If you are a Connecticut Veteran who has been denied care from the VA due to discrimination, you can contact us directly without a clinician referral at: intakes@ctveteranslegal.org.

If you are a Veteran facing suicidal thoughts, you should go to the nearest ER for help. Your healthcare, including transportation, is covered 100% by the VA under the COMPACT Act (2020).

The Veterans Crisis Line remains active and provides free and confidential support. You can access 24/7 by calling 988+1 or texting 838255.

The Trans Lifeline is free, anonymous, and run by-and-for Trans people independent of any federal agency. They operate Monday – Friday. Call or text 1-877-565-8860. Full hours of operation and more information is available in English and Spanish – link.