TAVA Won One!

TransGriot Note:  Statement from TAVA president Monica Helms about the new VHA trans health care directive.
 
On June 10, 2011, the day that many of us had been waiting for finally arrived.  The Veterans Health Administration, a division of the Veterans Affairs Department released the much anticipated directive toward transgender and intersex veterans.  It’s called, “Providing Health Care for Transgender and Intersex Veterans,” VHA Directive 2011-024.  A .pdf file can be found on the VA web site

For Angela Brightfeather and myself, this has been a decade long journey, when we first discovered the inconsistency of treatment in VA facilities for our transgender and transsexual veterans.  We formed a committee in the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition, but quickly found out that a committee was not the right way to go.

In January of 2003, we formed the Transgender American Veterans Association and later became a 501 (c)3 organization.  We helped to make our issue well known with people in Congress and many others in the VA and veterans organizations.

Our biggest accomplishment was the creation of a survey that ran from December 2007 to May 2008.  827 transgender veterans took the survey.  We asked questions to them on all aspects of their life, including how the VA treated them if they used it.  The results were shocking.  Transgender veterans faced discrimination, disrespect and in some case, denial of all services.  It didn’t matter how long they served.  The survey was compiled and put out in a white paper document by the Palm Center in California.

In the middle of 2008, the VA started creating a draft of a directive that was supposed to resolved the issues transgender veterans faced, but when they sent it out for review, it didn’t quite do the job we hoped for.  They asked several people for help and had an affective draft in hand in July of 2008.

Then we waited.  And, waited.  And waited.  But, the wait was worth it.  The version that finally came out on June 10, 2011 turned out stronger and even more affective than what the VA had in July of 2008.

It is important to note that this new directive DOES NOT COVER SRS/GRS.  This is because it is denied by a written law that would take Congress to fix.  This Congress?  I don’t think so.

All this directive really does is to emphasize to the VA facilities that transgender and intersex people who served this country in the military are veterans too and should be treated as such.  All veterans are covered by the VA Patient’s Bill of Rights, and the VA facilities needed to be reminded of this.  This directive will NOT cost the VA a single dime, because transgender and intersex veterans will only be getting everything that other veterans were already being given.

Here are some highlights to the new directive:

In accordance with the medical benefits package (title 38 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 17.38), VA provides care and treatment to Veterans that is compatible with generally accepted standards of medical practice and determined by appropriate health care professionals to promote, preserve, or restore the health of the individual.

VA provides health care for transgender patients, including those who present at various points on their transition from one gender to the next.  This applies to all Veterans who are enrolled in VA’s health care system or who are otherwise eligible for VA care, including:  those who have had sex reassignment surgery outside of VHA, those who might be considering such surgical intervention, and those who do not wish to undergo sex reassignment surgery, but self-identify as transgender.

It is VHA policy that medically necessary care is provided to enrolled or otherwise eligible intersex and transgender Veterans, including hormonal therapy, mental health care, preoperative evaluation, and medically necessary post-operative and long-term care following sex reassignment surgery.

Patients will be addressed and referred to based on their self-identified gender.

The documented sex in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) should be consistent with the patient’s self-identified gender.

A diagnosis of GID, or other gender dysphoria diagnoses, is not a pre-condition for receiving care consistent with the Veteran’s self-identified gender.

All staff, including medical and administrative staff, are required to treat as confidential any information about a patient’s transgender status or any treatment related to a patient’s gender transition, unless the patient has given permission to share this information.

Mandated diversity awareness is maintained and a zero-tolerance standard for harassment of any kind.

What we found out is that the “directive” aspect will indeed expire and this document will be placed in the VA manual when they do their revisions at the end of 2012.  I suppose it will then be considered “policy” at that time.In the directive, you will see this line:

As President of TAVA, I would like to thank all the people who helped get us this wonderful directive.  This includes all past and current board members of TAVA, and especially our fantastic and loyal members.  I would like to thank Mara Keisling and the National Center for Transgender Equality for all the hard work they did in helping us with this directive.  Mara has been on top of this weekly, trying to get information on when it would be released.  She really went to bat for us.

But most of all, I would like to thank Angela Brightfeather for all she has done for this.  She argued with me on how we should proceed.  She inspired us to do thing no trans person has ever done.  She was a great sounding board and provided a shoulder for me to cry on when things were not going well.  She gave TAVA the strength that made us who we are today.  Transgender and intersex veterans thank you, and I thank you most of all.

The next step is to ensure that VA facilities follow this new directive.

Happy 8th Birthday TAVA!

Yesterday was the 8th birthday of the Transgender American Veterans Association.   The organization was born in 2003 out of growing concerns of fair and equal treatment of transgender veterans and active duty service members. 

TAVA also serves as an educational organization that seeks to help the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense better understand the individuals they encounter who identify as being gender-different.   It also points out the fact that trans veterans proudly served in all branches of our country's military.


Have much love and respect for the folks at TAVA, its founders Monica Helms and Angela Brightfeather  and all trans vets.   Thanks for all you have done to advocate for the interests of trans veterans.


On this day I'd like to thank TAVA and you trans vets for your past and continuing service to our nation and community and wish the organization much continued success.

May TAVA continue to have a positive impact on our community and our nation.

Transgender American Veterans Association Salutes the Repeal Vote of DADT

TransGriot Note:  The press release from TAVA concerning the DADT repeal

Transgender American Veterans Association Salutes the Repeal Vote of DADT

Contact: Monica Helms: president@tavausa.org
Denny Meyer: media@tavausa.org / (718) 849-5665

We are proud of our democracy that Congress passed this monumental repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Even though transgender people are still going to be separated from military service, Transgender American Veterans Association salutes this passage. We who have served our nation proudly now anticipate our own progress to freedom and equality.

Monica Helms, President of TAVA said, "For 17 years the US has made their gay lesbian and bisexual service members second class citizens and caused them to have to lie about who they are and who they love. No longer will that be the case. We now turn our attention to allowing transgender people to serve openly."

"It should be recognized that DADT has never included directives concerning Transgender people serving in the military." Angela Brightfeather, TAVA's Vice President stated, "Therefore, there was no call from Transgender Americans to equally serve in the military of their country, without persecution and discrimination. However, Transgender people who have and still do serve under the same pre-DADT conditions, still find it necessary to lie and hide who they are, contrary to the best traditions of the military. We now press our GLB brothers and sisters to finish the job and help provide the means for Transgender people to be able to serve their country openly and equally as do all Americans."

Many of America's allied nations have long since allowed open transgender service along with the service of those with alternate sexual orientation. The next frontier is for the United States is to progress to full and complete inclusion of the right to serve our nation. It is TAVA's expectation that now that DADT has been repealed that all those involved in achieving the repeal will now turn their attention to help transgender Americans also be able serve openly.

Founded in 2003, the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) is a 501 (c) 3 organization that acts proactively with other concerned civil rights and human rights organizations to ensure that transgender veterans will receive appropriate care for their medical conditions in accordance with the Veterans Health Administration's Customer Service Standards promise to "treat you with courtesy and dignity . . . as the first class citizen that you are."

Further, TAVA will help in educating the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) on issues regarding fair and equal treatment of transgender individuals. Also, TAVA will help the general transgender community when deemed appropriate and within the IRS guidelines.

Men In Dresses? In The Military? I Don't &#@!* Think So!

TransGriot Note: This guest post is from Monica Helms, the President of TAVA, the Transgender American Veterans Association and editor of the Trans Universe blog. It's another emphatic reminder that the late Christine Jorgensen, some of our transleaders and various people in our community proudly served in the military. It also exposes the lies, moral bankruptcy of the Forces of Intolerance's devoid of logic remarks opposing the impending DADT repeal and sadly, the cowardice of our 'friends'.


March 21st, 2009
By Monica F. Helms

The impending repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell hangs over Bigot Americans like a specter of doom that will reach biblical proportions. In other words, they lack a strong grip on reality. They will do anything it takes to instill fear on the unknowing masses, stopping short of predicting the coming of The Rapture. Well, maybe they won’t stop short of that.

In this endless process of misinformation and out-and-out lies, the one part of the LGBT community that they like pointing to in order to generate the most fear are transgender people. They will always gravitate to the worn-out, standard line from the Bigot’s Handbook (Volume 17, 5th Edition, page 963,) “Men in dresses.” If all else fails, they can always throw out “Men in dresses,” even if it has nothing to do with transgender people. To Bigot Americans, ALL gay men wear dresses. That’s BS to the max. Hell, I know several trans women and lesbians who wouldn’t be caught dead in a dress.

Let me show the important points in this latest round of lies that the BAs like to gloss over or don’t wish people to know about.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell does not cover gender identity or expression.

It should have, but sadly it doesn’t. No one thought that transgender people actually served in the military. The possibility was too outrageous to everyone, including gays and lesbians. They forgot about Christine Jorgensen. We were nothing more than an after thought once again.

The military thinks that anyone who wishes to change their sex is automatically gay. However, transsexuals will still be subjected to discharge under different rules after DADT becomes history. Also, any man caught crossdressing off duty will be subjected to these same rules.

I’m wondering if anyone could dodge the bullet on this by saying they were gay and pointed out that DADT has been repealed. Some may get away with it if they have a stupid commander, but I wouldn’t recommend this path. It could catch up to them later. The best bet would be to have the Department of Defense address this issue separately so transgender people can also serve openly, like they can in six other countries.

Military people wear standard uniforms.

All I can say to this is “DUH!” We have an all-volunteer military, so everyone serving asked for that job. If a person takes a job, then they follow the rules set down in the workplace. Plane and simple. Besides the military, many other jobs require a person to wear a uniform. If you do the work, then you dress the part. Men will NOT be wearing dresses while on duty. Reality is not a Korean War sitcom.

In all the state and local jurisdictions where laws have been passed to protect transgender people in employment – some going back to the early 1990s – there has not been one case where a man came to work wearing a dress and got fired. Workplaces have dress codes that are gender specific, so if a person wants to keep their job, then they will follow these guidelines. However, dress codes should not be used as a weapon to prevent transsexuals from transitioning. It would be the same in the military.

The area where Bigot Americans seem to have a problem pertains to a transsexual who begins living full time in their target gender. The BAs insist that no one can change their sex, so transsexuals should be considered “men in dresses.” What about “women in pants” when it comes to FtMs? I don’t seem to hear that bantered around much.

Luckily, a good portion of large corporations and many smaller companies now understand the process and allow their transsexual employees to wear the gender specific clothing or uniforms appropriate for their new gender. So, that means that if a male-to-female transsexual is allowed to transition in the military, they would not be considered “men in dresses.” Corporations already have a handle on that and so would the military.



Some gays and lesbians refuse to discuss transgender people in the military.

The Transgender American Veterans Association has heard over and over and over that when DADT gets brought up, transgender people have to be left out. When this first came up, the excuse we heard was, “DADT only covers sexual orientation.” TAVA knew that transgender people had been targeted and discharged under DADT, but without any proof, the ones protecting the integrity of the wording in the Military Readiness Enhancement Act could easily blow us off. The specter of “men in dresses” scares them as much as it does the Bigot Americans.

But, the excuse given to keep us from being covered has now been proven to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors. I have to keep bringing up the TAVA Survey, because the facts can no longer be ignored. We have the proof of what we have been saying all along, but the guardians of the bill still will not listen. Their “baby” has grown up to a whole new world and it needs to reflect that new world.

What is wrong with creating a whole new bill that allows all LGB AND T people to serve openly, instead of just repealing the existing law? The new bill covering all of us would not only trump the existing law, thus repealing it, but allow for transgender people to serve openly in the military. When the legislators originally wrote the bill, we had a Republican-controlled government, so they went for the bare bone. We now have a government who will pass a more comprehensive bill, so why are the gay and lesbians working on this issue still running scared? I’ll tell you why. “Men in dresses.”

As I stated above, six countries allow transgender people to serve openly. Canada, UK, Israel, and Thailand allow all of their transgender people to serve, whereas Australia and Spain allow FtM transsexuals to serve openly. If they have figured it out, then I would hope that America is smart enough to also figure it out. But, the truth of the matter has nothing to do with “figuring it out.” The legislators sponsoring this bill and the gays and lesbians pushing for it lack the will power to do the right thing. Because other countries have figured this out without any problems, then we won’t be inventing the wheel. Too bad some people feel scared of doing the right thing.

Reality check on transgender people in the military.

Who are the idiots out there who think that just because a person identifies as being trans, they can’t control themselves and have to dress in women’s clothes on duty, as if they had some form of “fashion tourettes syndrome?” From personal experience and from knowing hundreds of other transgender veterans, they have far more control over their gender issues then the hundreds of men who can’t control their urge to commit rape.

Some, not all, transgender military people (specifically MtF) will crossdress off duty, off base, when on liberty or leave. They shouldn’t be penalized for this. When they go back to duty, they will make sure no evidence, regardless of how small it could be, will be left on their bodies. They would not shave their legs or body hair, but would never grow a beard unless being at sea for many months, or in a war zone. Their clothes would be tucked away at a civilian friend’s house, a bus station locker, in the trunk of their car, or any other place where no one in the military would find them. Conversely, FtM military people could get away with looking as butch as possible, both on and off duty. Still, that doesn’t protect them from the DADT wolves.

Up until the 1990s and the extensive use of the Internet, transgender people in the military did not have a lot to go on when it came to the feelings they had. Most thought that no one else in the world felt like them. They knew of Renee Richards, Wendy Carlos and Christine Jorgensen, but could not be sure if their life needed to go in that direction. Many joined the military so it could “make a man out of them,” but that didn’t work. During the Vietnam Era, some join to have the Viet Cong “take care of their problem,” but instead, they came home with the same “problem’ and new ones to boot. No matter why they joined, their secret would be one they would take to their grave. The “men in dresses” BS that Bigot Americans like tossing out would be the last thing they would ever think of.

Looking back on my time in the military, I remember one thing that makes me still smile today when I think about it. When out on patrol on a submarine, we knew the very day we would return, like clockwork. In the middle of the patrol, we would have what we called, “Halfway Night.” During the celebration, we would have contests, some would sing or play guitars, I played a kazoo and others would do skits. Inevitably, there was always one person who just so happened to have all the necessary items to dress as a woman for a skit. Looking back at that, I now understand why.

The subject of gays in the military will not be put to rest, even after DADT is repealed. There will always be Americans who will never accept this, even if a decade passes without incident. A transgender person serving openly is another subject all together, yet we can serve just as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual and straight people can. The military has set rules for uniforms, so even a transitioning transsexual will be required to dress appropriately for their new gender. And, if six other countries can do this, then so can we.

Transgender people have enough problems bucking the system on this issue without having our gay and lesbian friends make fun of us or intentionally hold us back because of being afraid that we would upset the delicate senses of the legislators. We see yet another situation where transgender people are being told, “We’ll come back for you later.” Too bad, but “later” is NOW, and we have all the proof to show why. Take your heads out of the sand and let’s do the right thing for once. And, don’t let me ever hear a gay man or lesbian use “men in dresses” when talking about transgender people in the military, even if it’s in a joking manner.

TAVA Congratulates ACLU On Winning The Diane Schroer Case

On September 19, 2008, Judge James Robertson of the United States Federal District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of former Army Colonel Diane Schroer in her discrimination case against the Library of Congress.

“It is especially gratifying that the court has ruled that discriminating against someone for transitioning is illegal,” said Diane Schroer, the plaintiff in the case.

“The court got it exactly right, sending a loud and clear message to employers everywhere: if you fire or refused to hire someone for transitioning, you are guilty of sex discrimination and may well find yourself liable,” said Sharon McGowan, one of the ACLU LGBT Project staff attorneys who tried the case.

The entire Board of Directors and the membership of the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) wish to congratulate the ACLU for winning this landmark case for one of our fellow veterans in fighting discrimination in federal employment. We watched this case closely and followed all the ups and downs over the last four years. We also wish to thank Colonel Schroer for all she has done to keep this country free. If she was good enough to serve her country, she's good enough to hold a civilian federal job.

“For members of TAVA,” stated Angela Brightfeather, Vice President of TAVA, “the court decision in favor of Diane Schroer is confirmation of her love of country and why GLBT Veterans have fought and died for America in every military conflict since the founding of our Nation. The courage, tenacity, leadership, common sense and moral certainty of Ms. Schroer in her fight for equality will benefit gender diverse people and help to stop discrimination against them. Both Ms. Schroer and the ACLU deserve a ‘well done’ and ‘mission accomplished’ from all Transgender Veterans and active service members.”

Founded in 2003, the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) is a 501 (c) 3 organization that acts proactively with other concerned civil rights and human rights organizations to ensure that transgender veterans will receive appropriate care for their medical conditions in accordance with the Veterans Health Administration’s Customer Service Standards promise to “treat you with courtesy and dignity . . . as the first class citizen that you are.” Further, TAVA will help in educating the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) on issues regarding fair and equal treatment of transgender individuals. Also, TAVA will help the general transgender community when deemed appropriate and within the IRS guidelines.