Pride VA

A bus, emblazoned with a giant banner that read “We Serve ALL Who Served” shuttled Washington DC VA Medical Center (DC VAMC) employees to Pennsylvania Avenue, where crowds gathered in anticipation of an exciting afternoon. As DC VAMC volunteers poured out, wearing colors and smiles as bright as the flags above them, one emotion could be felt above all the shouted greetings and organized chaos: Pride.

As the LGBTQ+ Special Emphasis Program Manager at the DC VAMC, Asia Sparks was tasked with planning the DC VAMC’s participation in the 2022 Capital Pride Parade and Festival.  She said she was overwhelmed with the support she found in her colleagues who volunteered to help.  

“It hasn’t always been this way,” she explained. “At one time, LGBTQ+ service members were dishonorably discharged for conduct unbecoming. We didn’t attend PRIDE events to show support and we certainly didn’t provide specialized care coordinators to them. It feels good to be a part of this.”

DC VAMC has participated in the Capital Pride Parade since 2013. The initiative allows staff to serve as allies in the LGBTQ+ community and send a message to Veterans in DC, Virginia, and Maryland that they are supported by their health care provider. Sparks believes that message was well received at the weekend’s events.

“In addition to walking in the parade, we hosted a booth at the Capital Pride Festival on Sunday. The turnout was amazing. We were able to provide information about LGBTQ+ health care services to Veterans and show them how tailored their health care can be,” she said.

As the LGBTQ + Special Emphasis Program Manager, Sparks helps Veterans who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community to understand their rights within the VA healthcare system. She works with LGBTQ+ Care Coordinators to answer questions, advocate for quality care, handle complaints or concerns that arise and connect Veterans with LGBTQ+ services like:

• Mental health services, including psychosocial assessments for hormone therapy and gender confirming surgeries
• Creative arts therapies
• Hormone therapy
• Gender-affirming prosthetics
• Testing, counseling, and care for HIV and sexually transmitted infections, including post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for Veterans at risk for HIV
• Other prevention, screening, wellness, and testing services

VA’s LGBTQ+ Care Coordinators are equipped to support the health, welfare and dignity of all Veterans and their families, but Sparks stressed that it is a shared mission at the DC VAMC. 

“All of our employees receive training in clinical care that addresses the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community,” she said. “This is a team effort, and we are all here to care for and support you.”

The DC VAMC’s commitment to caring for LGBTQ+ Veterans was recently recognized when the Human Rights Campaign Foundation named them an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer during their 2022 healthcare equality index. DC VAMC’s Director, Michael Heimall, said the designation is a direct reflection of the staff’s dedication to equal treatment of all Veterans.

“This proves that our team is committed to providing the best health care possible to every Veteran we see. Many of our LGBTQ+ Veterans have faced discrimination during their time in service and we want them to feel safe to seek care here, and to know they will be treated with respect when they walk through our doors,” Heimall said.

In addition to this designation, Sparks said outreach events like the Capital Pride Parade and Festival are important because they reach Veterans who are unaware of the resources available to them.

“This weekend we had the opportunity to stand with our LGBTQ+ Veterans and show support, and that sends a message to so many who are watching. We are here for you too. If you served this country honorably, regardless of how you identify, we are ready and proud to provide you the health care you have earned,” she said.

To learn more about LGBTQ+ Health Care services at the VA, visit: https://www.patientcare.va.gov/LGBT/index.asp