Employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Hampton Medical Center in Virginia say they were told they could face firing or discipline for wearing rainbow-themed items, including official VA Pride lanyards. The workers, who spoke anonymously, say the warning came from local leadership and referenced an “executive order,” creating confusion and fear. One of the messages reviewed by The Advocate quoted a physician saying, “Anything rainbow like lanyards can get us fired on the spot.” Another reported that interim executive director Michael W. Harper backtracked after initially confirming restrictions, later saying that LGBTQ-related materials “associated with clinical care” were still allowed.
The confusion appears tied to the Trump administration’s rollback of protections for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex veterans. In March, the VA rescinded Directive 1341 — a policy ensuring nondiscriminatory, respectful care, citing President Trump’s “Defending Women” order, which defines gender as binary and based on sex at birth. VA headquarters has not clarified whether Hampton’s directive was local or sanctioned. As one staffer put it: “They stated, per executive order, you cannot have lanyards, rainbow magnets, [or] shirts.” The Advocate reports the VA press office has not responded to requests for comment.
