Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized President Joe Biden’s handling of veterans’ healthcare, accusing the Department of Veterans Affairs of prioritizing “wokeism” over actual patient well-being. As a U.S. Navy veteran himself, DeSantis condemned the VA for allegedly promoting transgender ideology at the expense of providing necessary psychological support to former service members. His remarks came in response to a report by National Review journalist Caroline Downey, detailing instances where the VA penalized psychologists for challenging LGBTQ initiatives.
In a recent opinion piece published in The Hill, psychologist Nina Silander and her co-authors, Catherine Novotny and Edward Waldrep, criticized the VA’s policy allowing transgender individuals into spaces designated for women veterans.
They argued that the Biden administration’s emphasis on progressive gender politics had infiltrated clinical practices, potentially undermining the care provided to female veterans, particularly those who were survivors of sexual assault. Silander, Novotny, and Waldrep, who collectively had decades of experience working with women victims of sexual violence, highlighted concerns over privacy and safety in VA facilities.
The authors expressed alarm over the VA’s decision to grant access to single-sex spaces based on self-identified gender rather than biological s*x, citing risks of increased vulnerability to harassment and assault for female patients.
They pointed to broader societal trends, including controversies in women’s sports and prisons, to underscore their apprehensions regarding the VA’s policy shift. Silander’s subsequent reassignment within the VA, following the publication of the op-ed, raised questions about potential repercussions for dissenting voices within the agency.
Governor DeSantis echoed these concerns, accusing the Biden administration of misplaced priorities in veterans’ healthcare funding. He highlighted the allocation of resources towards gender transition surgeries instead of addressing critical gaps in veterans’ services. DeSantis underscored the need for substantive improvements within the federal VA to ensure that veterans receive the support and care they deserve.