Discharged Under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”?

Modern Military Association of America (MMAA) offers free and direct legal services: Call (202) 328-3244 or email legal@modernmilitary.org.

Swords To Plowshares offer a how-to guide explaining the process of applying for a military discharge or a change in the reason for your military discharge. CLICK HERE

• LGBTQ Veterans Legal Outreach: (415) 252-4788 / LGBTQveterans@stp-sf.org

Read More

• Vets kicked out for being gay can upgrade their discharges, Bay Area Reporter
• VA weighs changes to benefits eligibility for veterans with bad-paper discharges, Connecting Vets

Changing Your Name on Your DD Form 214

Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) has a guide to changing your name on your DD Form 214: CLICK HERE

VA Directives

• VHA Directive 1340(2), Provision of Health Care for Veterans Who Identify as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual
• VHA Directive 1341(2), Providing Health Care for Transgender and Intersex Veterans

Resources

American Bar Association (ABA): LGBT Veterans
Resources on this page include a webinar, PowerPoint presentation, and links to military documents on updating DD Form 214s for LGBT Veterans.
☎ ABA Service Center Hotline: (800) 285-2221

American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER)
PMB 416, 15127 Main Street E., Suite 104, Sumner, WA 98390
A non-profit, non-partisan, chapter-based Veterans Service Organization of active, reserve, and veteran service members dedicated to full and equal rights and equitable treatment for all present and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, especially the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender current and prior military personnel who have been historically disenfranchised by armed forces policy and discriminatory laws governing military service and benefits.
☎ Phone: (718) 849-5665

CalVet: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Veterans
P.O. Box 942895, Sacramento, CA 94295
CalVet is committed to ensuring all Veterans have access to and receive the benefits they have earned without regard to sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability.
☎ Toll-Free: 800-952-5626
☎ Toll-Free: 800-324-5966 (TDD)
☎ Toll Free: 800-221-8998 (Outside California)

Disabled American Veterans (DAV): LGBT Veterans
P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 95250-0301
Of the major Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) our there, the DAV is currently the only one to have a page dedicated to LGBT Veterans.
☎ Phone: (877) 426-2838

Gay Military Signal: The Voice of the Military Rainbow Community
Dedicated to providing a voice to the movement to achieve equality in America’s armed forces so that patriotic American volunteers may serve our nation openly and in pride regardless of sexual orientation.

Knights Out
A 501(c)3 made up of LGBTQ West Point alumni and dedicated to supporting LGBTQ service members and their families. They support LGBTQ alumni in reconnecting with their alma mater and the LGBTQ military community at large. Knights Out also seeks to foster a more inclusive military and more inclusive West Point.

Modern Military Association of America (MMAA)
1725 I Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006
Formed through the merger of the American Military Partner Association and OutServe-SLDN, the Modern Military Association of America is the nation’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to advancing fairness and equality for the LGBTQ military and veteran community. Through education, advocacy and support, we are making a real difference in the lives of LGBTQ servicemembers, military spouses, veterans and family members.
☎ Phone: (202) 328-3244

The Palm Center: Blueprints for Sound Public Policy
An independent research institute committed to sponsoring state-of-the-art scholarship to enhance the quality of public dialogue about critical and controversial public policy issues. The Palm Center researches on sexual minorities in the military has been published in leading social scientific journals. The Palm Center seeks to be a resource for university-affiliated as well as independent scholars, students, journalists, opinion leaders, and members of the public.

Service Academy Gay and Lesbian Alumni Network (SAGALA)
Formed in 1992 with members who attended as cadets or midshipmen one of the five federal service academies, West Point, Annapolis, the US Air Force Academy, the US Coast Guard Academy, and the US Merchant Marine Academy.  SAGALA is an alumni organization dedicated to service, education, and networking. Membership in this group is limited to LGBT alumni or future alumni from one of the five Academies.

Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) > Gender Quality > LGBT: Links to LGBT Veteran Resources

Servicemembers, Partner, Allies for Respect & Tolerance for All (SPART*A)
A group of transgender people who currently serve or have served in the military. Membership is open to transgender (to include non-binary and gender-nonconforming) individuals currently serving in the United States Armed Forces. SPART*A also offers smaller groups for families of transgender service members, veterans, and allies.

Speaking Out: LGBT Veterans (Experiencing War, Stories from the Veterans History Project)
While military service oftentimes demands sacrifices from those in uniform, historically, LGBT veterans have faced a unique set of challenges. For many of these veterans, following a call to serve meant keeping their private lives entirely private, for fear that exclusionary policies would hold them back or end their careers altogether. Here are stories of LGBT veterans who served from the WWII era to the present, that illustrate these veterans’ bravery, honesty, and unwavering dedication to their country.

Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA)
Founded in 2003, the Transgender American Veterans Association is a grassroots organization that advocates for the equality of transgender veterans and active duty service members to receive fair and equal treatment in areas such as healthcare, benefits, and open transgender military service. TAVA helps veterans change their name and gender within the Department of Veteran affairs, update their DD 214 name and characterization of discharge, and provide services such as our transgender support locator, which offers local support for transgender persons. TAVA is committed to equal rights for all veterans.

USNA Out
Comprised of the over 400 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender U.S. Naval Academy Alumni and our supporters. They are here for all to see, including the LGBT midshipmen and alumni.

VA Northern California Health Care System LGBTQ+ Veteran Care
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VHA) is committed to providing quality care to all Veterans including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Veterans. Excellent care has no boundaries.

VHA Patient Care Services: Veterans with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) and Related Identities
“LGBT and related identities” is an inclusive term for sexual and gender minorities. Veterans may have other ways of describing themselves, so the term “LGBT and related identities” is used to inclusively recognize the full range of sexual orientation and gender identity minorities. All Veterans are welcome at VA, even those who identify as a sexual or gender minority. Sexual and gender minority Veterans have faced stigma and discrimination, which can affect health. As a healthcare institution, we need to work to make sure that Veterans with LGBT and related identities know that they are welcome at VA.