Transgender Army Veteran Sues VA After Hormone Therapy Is Canceled

A transgender Army veteran is suing top Veterans Affairs officials after her hormone medication was abruptly discontinued as a result of a new VA policy that prohibited transgender-related care.

The lawsuit, filed on Monday by Yale Law School's Veterans Legal Services Clinic, claims that the department's abrupt policy shift is unlawful and discriminatory. Attorneys are pushing for an immediate reconsideration of the VA's previous standards, which included hormone therapy as routine medical care.

The veteran, whose identity remains unknown, served two years on active duty and nine years in the Army National Guard. She transferred to VA health care after leaving the service in 2024 with a 100% PTSD disability rating and was told that her hormone medication would continue.

However, in March, VA Secretary Doug Collins announced the discontinuation of gender-affirming care, such as hormone therapy and surgeries, arguing that the agency "should not be focused on helping veterans attempt to change their sex."

The action, filed in the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, claims the policy change lacks legal reason and endangers veterans' mental health. By the end of the summer, the plaintiff's pharmaceutical supply will have run out.

VA officials estimate that fewer than 9,000 registrants are transgender, whereas advocacy groups such as the National Center for Transgender Equality claim that there are approximately 134,000 transgender veterans nationwide.

The case follows a recent Defense Department regulation that requires transgender troops to leave the military.

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