Senate Resolution Sets September 20, 2025, as National LGBTQ+ Veterans Day, Urges VA to Cover Gender-Affirming Surgery

This resolution is essentially Congress officially recognizing and apologizing for past mistreatment of LGBTQ+ service members and veterans. It’s a formal acknowledgment that decades of discriminatory policies—from the “Lavender Scare” to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), and the recent bans on transgender service—caused real, lasting harm to people who signed up to serve.

The core action here is the designation of September 20, 2025, as National LGBTQ+ Servicemembers and Veterans Day. But this isn't just about setting aside a date; it’s about using that moment to push for concrete changes in how the VA and Department of Defense (DoD) treat these veterans today. The Senate is expressing regret for the "other than honorable" discharges and stripped benefits that resulted from these discriminatory policies, recognizing that this unfair treatment continues to affect veterans' lives.

The Push for Justice and Benefits

For the busy veteran who was discharged under DADT, this resolution is a big deal because it specifically urges the VA and DoD to implement policies that “correct the wrongs” caused by past discrimination. This means the agencies are being told to actively reach out to LGBTQ+ service members and veterans who were discharged because of their identity, ensuring they can access the benefits they earned but were previously denied. Think of the veteran who lost out on their GI Bill or healthcare access because of an unjust discharge—this resolution is a high-level signal that the government needs to fix that.

Healthcare Access: The Critical Ask

One of the most significant parts of this resolution focuses squarely on healthcare access, particularly for transgender veterans and active service members. The Senate is strongly urging both the VA and DoD to guarantee access to the full range of healthcare, including gender-affirming care. Crucially, the resolution specifically calls on the VA to remove gender-affirming surgery from the exclusion list in the standard Veterans Affairs Medical Benefits Package. If the VA follows this urging, it would mean that transgender veterans could finally receive comprehensive surgical care covered by the benefits they earned through service.

The 'Urging' Catch

While this resolution is a powerful statement and a clear directive, it’s important to note the language used. The Senate is “strongly urging” and “encouraging” the VA and DoD to take these actions—it does not legally mandate them. This means the actual implementation of benefits outreach, policy changes to correct past discharges, and the decision to cover gender-affirming surgery still rely on the discretion and willingness of the executive branch agencies. For the average veteran waiting on benefits or care, this means the process might not be instantaneous, but the political pressure from Congress is now formalized and public.