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Minority Vets

Press Releases + Statements


Subject: Minority Veterans of America Joins 12 Organizations Asking VA to Establish Non-Discrimination Regulations

Washington, DC – July 20, 2023 

Today, Minority Veterans of America (MVA), along with 12 other veteran and LGBTQ+ rights organizations, filed a petition for rulemaking requesting the that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) promulgate regulations under Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Section 1557 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in federal health care programs—including those administered and funded by the VA.

"All veterans, regardless of the identities they hold, deserve equitable access to the healthcare they earned through service to our nation. We call upon VA to promulgate rules under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act to take substantive measures to address the ongoing epidemic of discrimination in VA healthcare," said Lindsay Church, Executive Director, Minority Veterans of America. "By implementing comprehensive guidelines, VA can protect the veterans it is charged with serving and foster an environment where diversity is celebrated and discrimination has no place. It's time to bridge the gap and ensure that every veteran receives the respectful, inclusive, and unbiased care they deserve."

Discrimination based on a veteran’s sex, including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, is widespread within the VA health care system. Women and LGBTQI+ veterans report high rates of harassment, disrespect, and inadequate care. Adopting regulations under Section 1557 is a necessary first step to remedying this mistreatment. Petitioners request that VA’s rule include protection for every protected class enumerated in Section 1557.

“As attacks on inclusion escalate and efforts to weaponize and dismantle equity ferment, the Department of Veterans Affairs has a responsibility to put in place regulations to protect against discrimination," said Richard Brookshire, CEO of the Black Veterans Project. “For decades, Black and minority veterans have faced an onslaught of biased treatment that relegated these veterans to the margins of accessibility, unjustly locking them out of the benefits they rightly earned. Without anti-discrimination regulations, these injustices will continue unabated.”

The petition asks the VA to clarify that Section 1557’s anti-discrimination protections and enforcement mechanisms apply to every health program or activity administered by VA, such as the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), or any part of which receives federal financial assistance from the VA. The petition also requests that VA specify the forms of discrimination prohibited by Section 1557 and the remedies available for violations, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has done repeatedly via their own regulations.

MVA is joined by the Black Veterans Project, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Modern Military Association of America, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Veterans Council for Legal Redress, National Veterans Legal Services Program, Protect Our Defenders, Service Women’s Action Network, Swords to Plowshares, Transgender American Veterans Association, and Vietnam Veterans of America. The Veterans Advocacy Project has also endorsed the petition.

Subject: Minority Veterans of America Condemns the Passage of the House FY24 NDAA

Washington, DC – July 14, 2023 

Minority Veterans of America (MVA), a national organization dedicated to advocating for the rights and well-being of minority veterans, strongly condemns the passage of the House Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (FY24 NDAA). The inclusion of detrimental amendments within this bill represents a severe setback for the fundamental rights, inclusivity, and progress of our military community.

MVA strongly condemns the amendments in the House FY24 NDAA that ban gender affirming care for service members and their dependents, disregard transgender service members' rights and well-being, and undermine inclusive healthcare. Additionally, the attacks on the Department of Defense's recent reproductive health policy threatens service members' overall well-being and compromises the stability of military families. Furthermore, the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts undermines the military's operational readiness, compromises national security, and perpetuates a climate of exclusion and discrimination.

The passage of the House FY24 NDAA, with its harmful amendments, constitutes a grave disservice to minority service members and reflects a shameful display of hate towards the most patriotic among us. As veterans who have dedicated our lives to protecting and serving our country, we are appalled by this disregard for the principles of fairness, equality, and justice.

It is imperative that Congress rejects discrimination, upholds inclusivity, and vigorously protects the rights of all service members.

For more information or inquiries, please contact:

Lindsay Church

Chief Executive Officer

Minority Veterans of America

info@minorityvets.org


About Minority Veterans of America:

Minority Veterans of America (MVA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating belonging and advancing equity for underrepresented veterans, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), women, LGBTQIA+, and religious minority veterans. MVA works to increase access to resources, advocate for equitable policies, and amplify the voices of minority veterans across the nation.