Office of Resolution Management, Diversity & Inclusion (ORMDI)

LGBTQ+ Program

LGBTQ+ Program

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proudly leads the effort to build a diverse workforce and cultivate an inclusive work environment. We do this by developing and implementing policies and programs that promote diversity and inclusion in our workplace as we strive to ensure that VA’s workforce is drawn from the broadest segments of society so that it is poised to meet the present and future needs of our Nation's Veterans, their families and beneficiaries.

VA is committed to a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace and understands that diversity and inclusion are essential for a high-performing organization that delivers the best service to our Nation's Veterans. The LGBTQ+ community is an integral aspect of our human diversity. To that end, VA has implemented several policies and programs addressing issues facing the LGBTQ+ community and is helping VA employees and patients access benefits made available by changes to Federal policy.  For more information, view this Infographic on VA’s LGBTQ+ Program.

Beginning on June 3, 2024, and lasting all month, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Resolution Management, Diversity, and Inclusion, invites all employees across the enterprise, military-connected community partners, and Veterans to join us in the celebration of our 4th annual VA National Virtual PRIDE 2024.  Join us as we present a variety of topics related to the LGBTQ+ community, including but not limited to medical advances, services and benefits offered by the VA, legal issues, and other relevant topics. To access a list of all the presentations that are part of the 2024 VA National Virtual Pride events

Executive Orders

• Executive Order 13087 – Amending EO 11478 to prohibit discrimination based on      sexual orientation in the competitive service of the federal civilian workforce
• Executive Order 13160 - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Race, Sex, Color,      National Origin, Disability, Religion, Age, Sexual Orientation, and Status as a      Parent in Federally Conducted Education and Training Programs
• Executive Order 13583 – Establishing a Coordinated Government-wide Initiative to      Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce
• Executive Order 13672 – Amending EO 11478 and EO 11246 to prohibit      discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
• Executive Order 13988 - Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of     Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation
• Executive Order 13985 – Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved     Communities Through the Federal Government
• Executive Order 14035 – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the     Federal Workforce

VA Policies and Resources for Employees

Since 2009, VA’s equal employment opportunity (EEO) protections have included sexual orientation and gender identity in the Secretary’s EEO, Diversity and Inclusion, No FEAR, and Whistleblower Rights and Protection Policy Statement [PDF].To complement this, VA developed and implemented a process to provide employees with an avenue of redress for complaints. See Addressing Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discriminationin Federal Civilian Employment) [PDF]. Additionally, transgender VA employees are protected from discrimination including protection while transitioning at work, access to sanitary facilities, and accurate documentation in employee files.

• Secretary’s EEO, Diversity and Inclusion,
      No FEAR, and Whistleblower Rights and Protection Policy Statement [PDF]
• VA Directive 5975, Diversity and Inclusion [PDF]
• VA Handbook 5975.4, Transgender Employee Transition Guidance [PDF]
• VA Handbook 5975.5, Special Emphasis Program Management [PDF]
• Processing Equal Employment Opportunity
  Complaints Based on Sexual Orientation [PDF]

Are you a VA employee who has questions or concerns about issues facing LGBTQ+ VA Employees? Send an e-mail to VA’s LGBTQ+ Employee Workgroup which addresses LGBTQ+-related questions and concerns. A member of the Workgroup will review your e-mail and make every effort to address your concern. The e-mail group is confidential; even if your email is forwarded to another office for guidance, your name will be omitted to protect your privacy. Try it!

Affinity Organizations

• Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA)
• Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
• National Center for Transgender Equality
• Transgender American Veterans Association
• Transgender Law Center

External Affinity Conferences Approved for VA-wide Participation
(VA External Affinity Conferences Memo [PDF])
For more information on external affinity conferences approved for VA-wide participation, please visit the following:

• Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) Annual Conference on LGBT Health
• Out & Equal Workplace Summit

Training/Events

• November 17, 2021: Gender Awareness & Pronouns Usage [PDF]
• November 16, 2021: Transgender Employee Transition Guidance [PDF]
• October 13, 2021: National LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy Flyer [PDF]
• History of LGBTQ+ [PDF]

Observances (VA SEP Observances Memo [PDF])
ORMDI provides a SEP Observances Toolkit as guidance to field facilities on implementing activities for special observances, including the following:

• Pride Month (June). For VA LGBTQ+ Pride Month posters, visit the Veterans
  Health Administration, Patient Care Services

Federal Policies and Resources

• Office of Personnel Management Guidance on the Extension of Benefits to      Married Gay and Lesbian Federal Employees, Annuitants, and Their Families
• Federal Management Regulation; Nondiscrimination Clarification in the Federal      Workplace
• Office of Personnel Management Resource Guide Addressing
  Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination in
  Federal Civilian Employment [PDF]
• Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health
  Administration, Best Practices: A Guide to Restroom Access
  for Transgender Workers [PDF]
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Fact Sheet
  on Bathroom Access Rights for Transgender Employees Under Title VII
  of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 [PDF]
• Supreme Court Ruling on Title VII and LGBT Protections [PDF]
• Supreme Court Ruling on Same Sex Marriage [PDF]
• Department of Defense: Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

VA Policies and Resources for Veterans

• VA Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Important Information on      Marriage
• Benefits for LGBTQ+ Service Members and Veterans

In the area of health care delivery, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is committed to a patient-centered approach that organizes services around the needs and values of LGBT Veterans. To that end, VA has enacted a variety of policies relating to LGBTQ+ Veteran Care. To learn about these policies, review the following:

• Rights and Responsibilities of VA Patients and Residents of Community Living      Centers
• Rights and Responsibilities of Family Members of VA Patients and Residents of      Community Living Centers

VA has instituted a policy to provide respectful delivery of health care to transgender and intersex Veterans which includes use of self-identified name and pronoun, documentation of sex in the computerized patient reporting system, hormone therapy, and pre/post-surgery medical care. For more information about this policy, review the following:

• Providing Health Care for Transgender and Intersex Veterans (VHA Directive      1341) [PDF]
• LGBTQ+ Veteran Health Care Fact Sheet - Male Veterans:
  Transgender Male Health Care [PDF]
• LGBTQ+ Veteran Health Care Fact Sheet - Female Veterans:
  Transgender Female Health Care [PDF]
• LGBTQ+ Veteran Health Care Fact Sheet - Male Veterans:
  Gay and Bisexual Health Care [PDF]
• LGBTQ+ Veteran Health Care Fact Sheet - Female Veterans:
  Lesbian and Bisexual Health Care [PDF]

If you are a Veteran, dependent, or support person and would like information about VA services for LGBTQ+ Veterans, contact the LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator (LGBTQ+ VCC) at your local facility. Visit the Office of Patient Care Services, Veterans with LGBTQ+ and Related Identities, for the LGBTQ+ VCC list. If you experience difficulties locating the LGBTQ+ VCC at your facility, please email the VA LGBTQ+ Program. If you are in crisis, PLEASE call the 24-hour Crisis Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 option 1 or visit the Veterans Crisis Line.

VA Policies & Resources for  Employees & Veterans
PrideVA is a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employee resource group for gender and sexual minorities, including, but not limited to, those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+), as well as allies. Everyone supporting PrideVA’s mission and vision is invited and encouraged to join PrideVA – Advocating for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in the Workplace.

Disclaimer: Although PrideVA are recognized as an employee resource group within VA, they are still an independent, non-governmental organization and not an official VA organization.

Employment
ORMDI does not offer or conduct employment services.  Please visit the following:

• VA Careers
• Veteran Employment Program (VEP)
• National Diversity Internship Program (NDIP)
• Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)
• Pathways at VA
• Department of Labor, Career One Stop

External Government Resources

• Census, LGBT Pride Month
• Legal and Financial Considerations for Lesbian and Gay Service Members
• LGBT in the U.S. Air Force
• LGBT in the U.S. Army
• LGBT in the U.S. Coast Guard
• LGBT in the U.S. Marine Corps
• LGBT in the U.S. Navy
• National Archives, LGBT Issues in Records
• National Archives, Veterans Service Records
• Veterans History Project

Program Contact

Mr. Sterling Akins, VA’s National LGBTQ+ Program Manager, ORMDI.

Diversity & Inclusion Section Pages

return to top