Republicans and other critics are slamming President Joe Biden for making use of taxpayer funds to cover the costs relating to gender reassignment surgery for trans veterans.
The news comes after the Government recently made the decision to take the necessary steps to fulfill this very task. Moreover, the announcement was conducted by the President’s Veterans Affairs Secretary at a recent Pride event. Here is where Denis McDonough spoke about how much the administration supported Pride.
This was just one week after the fifth anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting that took place in Florida city. During the tragic event, around 49 innocent victims lost their lives at the public gay bar.
Denis McDonough explained at the Orlando event how this was just one of the best things that the government could do for the Pride community. “We are taking it as an effort to overcome the dark history relating to discrimination against the LGBTQ community and its service members.”
For those who may not be aware, gender confirmation surgery is the new name for gender reassignment surgery. Here is where a change takes place inside a trans individual’s body that aligns alongside the gender with which they identify.
Currently, the cost of the program actually remains unclear. However, Terrence Hayes mentioned to the Washington Post how they are expecting a little less than 4000 individuals to go and take the offer.
According to statistics from the VA, there is a shocking estimate of around 134,000 trans veterans. But it is still unclear whether or not they’ve undergone any related surgery, as of yet.
On average, costs relating to medical treatments usually add up to a value that exceeds $100,000. And usually, it’s the insurance companies that cover the expenses.
However, in this particular case, it appears to be the Biden administration who has jumped into making a difference to so many trans vets’ lives by covering their expenditure.