LGBTQ+ veterans
You served with courage, sometimes while hiding who you are. You deserve respect, care and a community that sees all of you.
By the numbers
What research shows about LGBTQ+ veterans and their mental health.
Who served
Mental health
MST
LGBTQ+ people who served
Two kinds of stress, and a lot of strength.
LGBTQ+ people have served in every branch, and researchers estimate more than a million U.S. veterans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Many served with pride. Many also served while hiding a big part of themselves.
LGBTQ+ veterans can carry the same stresses of service as anyone else, plus the stress of stigma. Rejection in the military and the legacy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” have been linked to minority stress, isolation, and reluctance to seek VA care.
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Like all veterans, LGBTQ+ veterans may live with combat stress, injuries, grief or the hard landing of civilian life.
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In interviews, LGBTQ+ veterans described discrimination and put-downs from fellow service members, other veterans, therapy group members and even health care providers.
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Serving well while carrying extra pressure takes real courage. Many LGBTQ+ veterans speak with pride about their service and their identity, and both can be true at once.
Serving in silence: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
What it meant to hide, and how it can still echo.
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was in effect from February 28, 1994, to September 20, 2011. LGBTQ+ people who did not disclose their sexual orientation could keep serving. Generally, those who disclosed were discharged.
For many veterans, that meant years of watching every word, hiding relationships and fearing being found out. Some lost careers they loved. That kind of long-term hiding can leave lasting stress.
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- Changing pronouns when talking about a partner
- Feeling you could never fully trust your unit
- Missing support during hard times, like a breakup or loss
- Keeping friends and family from different parts of your life apart
Being on guard for years can feel a lot like hypervigilance. It makes sense if relaxing or trusting still feels hard.
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Some service members were discharged because of their sexual orientation, sometimes with a discharge that wasn’t honorable. Shame and anger about that can last decades.
There are paths to benefits and to upgrading a discharge. See “Discharges, upgrades & benefits” below.
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Older LGBTQ+ veterans may have served under these rules or before them. News stories, anniversaries or the loss of a partner can bring those years back.
Mental health: what research shows
More stress and symptoms, and a gap in getting care.
A national study of post-9/11 veterans compared LGBTQ+ veterans with LGBTQ+ people who had not served. The veterans reported more financial strain, divorce, discrimination, and seeing the sudden death of a friend or family member.
LGBTQ+ veterans also reported more severe depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms. But they were only more likely to get therapy for PTSD, not other kinds of mental health care. The researchers said this suggests unmet needs, especially for depression and anxiety.
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LGBTQ+ veterans have described mistreatment in military and health care settings. Those experiences can make people reluctant to seek care, even when they need it.
Common worries
- “Will they judge me?”
- “Do I have to explain my identity before I can get help?”
- “Will my information be kept private?”
- “Will they understand my partner or chosen family?”
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A VA-developed 10-week group for LGBTQ+ veterans, called PRIDE in All Who Served, focused on identity, military culture, connection and speaking up for your own health. In an early study, veterans reported fewer depression and anxiety symptoms and less suicidal thinking.
Availability of groups like this has varied after recent policy changes, so ask what is offered near you.
Military sexual trauma & LGBTQ+ veterans
Higher rates, real fears, and free care.
In a national survey of U.S. veterans, military sexual trauma (MST) was more common among sexual minority veterans. About 23% of bisexual, pansexual and queer veterans and 17% of gay and lesbian veterans reported MST, compared with about 7% of heterosexual veterans.
Among veterans who had experienced MST, sexual minority veterans were much more likely to screen positive for PTSD. The researchers pointed to the added weight of minority stress.
Fears survivors may carry
- Being outed by telling someone
- Not being believed, or being blamed
- That the harm was tied to who they are
- That providers won’t understand
MST can happen to anyone, of any sexual orientation or gender. VA offers free care for conditions related to MST, and you don’t need to have reported it at the time.
Discharges, upgrades & benefits
You may be eligible for VA care and benefits, even with a past discharge.
VA says it has taken steps to make sure former service members discharged because of homosexual conduct, gender identity or HIV status have full and fair access to benefits. In 2024, VA removed a regulation that had been used as a bar to benefits, and encouraged people who were turned down before to apply again.
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When someone with an other-than-honorable discharge applies, VA reviews their record. Over 10 years, VA provided care or benefits to 75% of these former service members, more than 57,000 people.
VA’s review is only about VA benefits. It does not change your military discharge.
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You can apply for a discharge upgrade by mail or with help from a Veterans Service Organization. VA’s online questions give you step-by-step instructions, the forms you need and the right board’s address.
The Department of Defense has shared “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” resources, including how to appeal for an upgrade and answers to common questions.
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Veterans Service Organizations can help with upgrade applications. VA’s benefits line is 800-827-1000, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
Getting care that respects you
What VA says now, and how to speak up for yourself.
VA policies on LGBTQ+-specific programs have changed in recent years. In June 2026, VA renamed its LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators as “care coordinators” who serve all veterans, regardless of characteristics including sexual orientation. VA’s memo also said all veterans must be treated based on clinical needs and without discrimination.
Because programs can keep changing, the best step is to ask your local VA or Vet Center what support is available now.
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- Ask how your information is kept private
- Bring a partner, friend or chosen family member to appointments
- Say if a provider’s words or questions feel disrespectful
- Ask to see a different provider if it isn’t a good fit
- Write your questions down ahead of time
The “Questions for respectful care” worksheet below can help you prepare.
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Vet Centers offer free, confidential individual, group, marriage and family counseling in a relaxed, non-medical setting. VA also offers telehealth, so you can talk to someone from home.
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Some veterans also see LGBTQ+-affirming counselors in the community, through other insurance or local LGBTQ+ centers. It is okay to ask a therapist about their experience with both veterans and LGBTQ+ clients.
Transgender & nonbinary veterans
Recent changes at VA, and support that continues.
In March 2025, VA announced it would phase out medical treatments for gender dysphoria, with limited exceptions for some veterans already receiving care. VA said trans veterans remain eligible for comprehensive VA health care, including preventive and mental health care.
Changes like these can bring worry, grief or anger, on top of the stresses of service. Those feelings are understandable, and you deserve support with them.
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VA says eligible veterans who identify as trans will continue to receive comprehensive VA health care, which includes mental health care.
Talk with your VA provider about what is available to you now. Vet Centers also offer free counseling.
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Connecting with other trans and nonbinary people, and with veterans, can ease isolation. Online and local groups can help when in-person options are few.
Pride, community & chosen family
Finding people who see both your service and your identity.
Social isolation adds to the risk of depression for LGBTQ+ veterans, and connection helps. A group of people who understand both military life and being LGBTQ+ can feel like coming home.
Places to find your people
- An LGBTQ+ community center that welcomes veterans
- An LGBTQ+ veterans group, online or in person
- A peer support group for veterans
- Pride events or veteran groups that march together
- Volunteering alongside other veterans
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Many LGBTQ+ people build a chosen family of close friends, partners and mentors. For veterans, this may include people you served with who knew the real you.
Let your care team know who your support people are, whether or not they are legal family.
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You don’t have to choose between being a veteran and being LGBTQ+. Telling your story, in your own way, can help others who are still hiding feel less alone.
Being an ally to LGBTQ+ veterans
What family, veteran groups and providers can do.
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- Believe them about who they are
- Ask about their service, and about their partner or loved ones
- Don’t share their identity with others without permission
- Keep inviting them, even if they pull away sometimes
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- Say plainly that LGBTQ+ veterans are welcome
- Speak up when jokes or comments put people down
- Include LGBTQ+ veterans in events and leadership
- Know where to point people for support
LGBTQ+ veterans have reported discrimination from other veterans and in group settings. Welcoming spaces can change that.
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- Ask: “Are you thinking about suicide?” Asking does not put the idea in their head.
- Help put time and distance between them and firearms or other means during hard times.
- Listen without judging their identity or their story.
- Call the Veterans Crisis Line together: dial 988 then press 1.
When and where to get help
Signs it’s time to reach out, who to call, and help outside the U.S.
Reach out if…
- Memories, nightmares or feeling on edge won’t ease
- You feel hopeless, ashamed or very alone
- News or policy changes are taking a heavy toll
- You are drinking or using more to cope
- You have any thoughts of suicide or of hurting someone
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- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988
- Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741
- Vet Center Call Center: 1-877-927-8387, 24/7
- Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255
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If you served in another country’s forces, your country’s veterans’ agency can tell you what support exists. Veterans: coming home & life after service lists lines in the UK, Canada and Australia.
Findahelpline.com lists free, confidential helplines in many countries, searchable by country and topic, including LGBTQ+ lines.
📝 Worksheets for this guide
Fill these in privately in the app. Your answers stay on your phone.
Sources
- Lange, Hilgeman, Portz, Intoccia & Cramer (peer-reviewed) (2020). Pride in All Who Served: Development, Feasibility, and Initial Efficacy of a Health Education Group for LGBT Veterans (Journal of Trauma & Dissociation)
- U.S. Department of Defense (now Department of War) (2023). DOD Highlights ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Resources
- Harper, Blosnich, Livingston et al. (peer-reviewed) (2024). Trauma exposure, mental health, and mental health treatment among LGBTQ+ veterans and nonveterans (Psychological Trauma)
- Webermann, Merians, Gross, Portnoy, Rosen & Pietrzak (peer-reviewed) (2023). Military Sexual Trauma and its Association with Mental Health Among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Veterans in the United States (LGBT Health)
- Livingston, Berke, Ruben, Matza & Shipherd (peer-reviewed) (2019). Experiences of trauma, discrimination, microaggressions, and minority stress among trauma-exposed LGBT veterans (Psychological Trauma)
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD (2026). Military Sexual Trauma
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2024). VA expands access to care and benefits for some former service members who did not receive an honorable or general discharge
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Request a discharge upgrade or correction
- Military Times (2026). VA eliminates gender identity initiatives, reclassifies LGBTQ+ care coordinators
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2025). VA to phase out treatment for gender dysphoria
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Vet Centers (Readjustment Counseling)
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Mental Health Care
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Peer Support Groups
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Helpful VA Phone Numbers
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans Crisis Line
- Veterans Crisis Line (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). Signs of Crisis
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Crisis Text Line. Crisis Text Line
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Crisis Text Line
- Find A Helpline (ThroughLine). Find A Helpline
This guide is for education and self-care. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. Please talk to a counselor or clinical provider about your health. Reviewed October 2026.
