Advocate NL 7/23/26

Hello folks, Audience Editor Edgar Ramirez back in your inbox this Thursday, with another scoop from The Advocate's Christopher Wiggins.

Outside the Washington, D.C. office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, right below the listed name, is a plaque with this quote: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.”

Those words were said by President Abraham Lincoln on March 4, 1865, only 41 days before his assassination. According to the VA site, where those words also live (unless they were to magically disappear), "This singular act codified a social contract between the Nation and our Veterans that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would always be there to help Veterans and their families heal and recover from the illnesses, injuries, or wounds sustained in service to America, and successfully reintegrate into civilian life."

If you were to ask some LGBTQ+ service members though -- or apparently this current government -- whether that "social contract" applies to all veterans, you would get some interesting answers.

As Wiggins reports, the Trump administration's VA 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 changes have left coordinators across the country feeling “shock, anger, and betrayal,” according to an anonymous VA health care provider involved with the program. “This is the VA’s version of Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law — it’s blatant homophobia and an attack on LGBTQ veterans.” They had a lot more to share with Wiggins.

All this comes as Wiggins also reports that a federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to knock most of the transgender service members out of a lawsuit (led by retired Air Force Master Sgt. Logan Ireland) over military retirements that the Air Force approved and then abruptly revoked. There's also the ongoing military transgender ban case.

May we suggest these administration officials take a field trip to that VA office plaque? Or at the very least, they could visit the VA site to make sure we're reading those words correctly.

Until next time,
Edgar

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

Ken Cedeno / POOL / AFP via Getty Images

Judge rejects Trump administration bid to dismiss transgender Air Force troops’ retirement lawsuit

Por.Ahi.PR/Shutterstock; courtesy

Judge in trans military ban case demands Pentagon explain Hegseth’s testosterone double standard

Finn Gomez/Getty Images

‘Drag Race’ stars threaten to ‘sue’ Nancy Mace over attack on drag queens

Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Paramount+

The 21 highest-paid WNBA players — and what they were making five years ago

WNBA.com/Photo Illustration by Them

Right-wingers mock trans student tased by UCF police after demanding not to be misgendered

Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Please, we’re begging you, do not 'drink your pee' to avoid HRT

dinawinner/Shutterstock.com