 Hi everyone, I'm Ashley Burns, DAV's Deputy National Communications Director and I'm here today to talk to you a little bit about DAV's 2021 critical policy goal of ensuring equitable benefits and services for women and minority veterans. As I'm sure you'll recall in the past, we did have a critical policy goal specifically focusing on women veterans, but due to the fact that these populations of underrepresented veterans are growing, we thought it was important that we include underrepresented women veterans, minority veterans, LGBT veterans, as well in this critical policy goal. So why the need to focus on minority veteran populations, you may ask? Well, first of all, Black, Latino, and other ethnic minorities now comprise about 20% of the VA's patient population. Women veterans make up around 10% and an estimated 5% identify as LGBT. Now, as the veteran population decreases, these populations are growing, though the total veteran population is projected to decrease from about 18.6 million in 2016 to 12.9 million in 2040, the percentage of minority veterans is expected to rise from 23% to 34% over that same time period. We know that racial and ethnic minorities experience disparities in medical treatment and health outcomes across all of healthcare. For example, rates of COVID-19 among Black and Hispanic veterans are double those experienced by white veterans, as well as homelessness, unemployment, and certain chronic health conditions are actually also more prevalent among Black veterans than other veteran peers. Some minority veterans, including women and LGBT veterans, also encounter things like harassment, racism, and discrimination when accessing VA care, and they also report delaying or foregoing VA care if they experience that harassment or perceive their care environment as unwelcoming or threatening. So let's talk for a minute about the LGBT veteran population. Now, VA estimates there are approximately 1 million LGBT veterans in the U.S. and that there are about 9,000 transgender veterans that have received health care through VHA. So you'll notice I said estimated. VA does not have an accurate indication of these figures for a couple of reasons. First, many LGBT veterans in studies have indicated they do not self-record their orientation or gender identity to VA for fear of bias, refusal of treatment, or even harassment. Second, VA does not ask this one direct and important question of its patients, which could help to better inform health care providers. Now, following the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2011, VA adopted new policies and programs to address issues related to LGBT veterans and also established VHA's Office of Health Equity as well as the LGBT Health Program. However, an October 2020 Government Accountability Office report notes that the VA still lacks a standardized method of collecting sexual orientation and self-identified gender identity data among veterans. Additionally, many veterans who were given bad paper discharges under Don't Ask, Don't Tell to include those kicked out for related behavioral issues may be unaware that they can apply for official military reviews and a possible discharge upgrade, making them then eligible for VA health care benefits in burial rights. And that doesn't even include the estimated 100,000 veterans who were given other than honorable discharges before Don't Ask, Don't Tell existed. Now, let's change gears a little bit here and talk about women veterans. I am extremely pleased to note that in December, after many years of advocacy work by Joy Elam and her team, and with your persistence in working with your elected officials, the Johnny Isaacson and David Pirro M.D. Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 passed. In it were a number of provisions that were originally included in the Deborah Sampson Act across areas to improve access, increase staff cultural competency, and to eliminate sexual assault and harassment. There were 22 provisions in total that came from the Deborah Sampson Act, and many of those provisions came right from the pages of DAB's Very Own Women Veterans Report, so we are incredibly proud to see this passed. Some of those provisions include things like the establishment of the Office of Women's Health within VA, expanded VA treatment and counseling for military sexual trauma, and of course the establishment of a policy to end sexual assault and harassment, among many, many other very important provisions. Now, maybe you've been tracking the news for the past few years and maybe you've heard that the VA has a problem with harassment. Now, whatever you may have heard, the facts are actually pretty clear. Harassment is not specific to any one group of veterans, but continues to be a notable problem within VA. According to VA, one in four women veterans has experienced some form of sexual harassment or assault at a VA facility. For men and women, regardless of gender, color, orientation, harassment is a barrier to care. VA can improve its programs and services all at lights, but it will not have the desired impact of improving access until it can create that welcoming, safe environment. And lastly, it will take strong leadership to address this issue from the top down and across every VA facility. We need the VA to employ a comprehensive leadership-driven and department-wide strategy to eliminate sexual harassment and assault within VA. Now, the bottom line to this entire critical policy goal is to ensure that we as a nation are honoring all of our veterans and recognizing their service, sacrifice, and the contributions that they've made in and out of uniform. I thank you all so much for joining me today and to learn a little bit more about this and all of DAV's critical policy goals, please visit our site at dav.org slash 2021 midwinter.