GenderAffirming

Washington and Idaho Tackle LGBTQ+ Hate Crimes and Gender-Affirming Care with New Legislation

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Spokane, Washington and Boise, Idaho have taken vastly different approaches when it comes to addressing issues impacting LGBTQ+ communities. The divergent paths taken by lawmakers in these neighboring states highlight the ongoing battles over LGBTQ+ rights and discrimination. Idaho made headlines in its recent legislative session when it passed House Bill 71, a controversial measure that restricts transgender minors from obtaining gender-affirming care. The law, slated to go into effect on January 1, has faced legal challenges over its constitutionality, effectively delaying its enforcement for now. Meanwhile, across the border in Washington, state legislators have … Read more

Yale Law School Clinic Fights for Transgender Veterans’ Access to Gender-Affirming Surgery

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New Haven, Connecticut – Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services clinic has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) over its policy on gender-affirming surgery. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA), seeks to compel the VA to address a rulemaking petition that was presented to them in 2016. The petition called for the inclusion of gender-affirming surgery in the VA’s medical coverage. TAVA submitted the petition in 2016, but the VA never formally responded to it. In 2021, Secretary of Veteran Affairs Denis McDonough … Read more