Air Force offers up counseling, legal help to personnel affected by LGBTQ state laws
The U.S. Air Force has offered to provide member families personally affected by the recent slew of restrictive LGBTQ+ state legislation with medical and legal help should they need it, HuffPost reports.
The military branch also offered to assist its service members in relocating from states with LGBTQ measures parents find harmful to their child's mental or physical health. Personnel was informed of the offer late last month, HuffPost writes, noting reporting from Federal News Network. The Air Force is right now the only military branch to do this.
Leadership has informed any struggling service men and women they may utilize military medical facilities for mental health support for themselves or their kids, as well as obtain counseling from legal personnel.
"The health, care and resilience of our [Air Force] personnel and their families is not just our top priority — it's essential to our ability to accomplish the mission," Air Force Undersecretary Gina Ortiz Jones said, per HuffPost. "We are closely tracking state laws and legislation to ensure we prepare for and mitigate effects to our Airmen, Guardians and their families. Medical, legal resources, and various assistance are available for those who need them."
Personnel can also, if desired, request a transfer to a state they believe safer for their LGBTQ child. For example, a service member with a transgender child in Texas or Florida could ask to be relocated in the wake of the former's gender-affirming care restrictions or the latter's much-criticized "Don't Say Gay" bill.
An influx of LGBTQ legislation and directives have begun cropping up nationwide. In addition to the measures out of Texas and Florida, Alabama last week made it a felony for parents and doctors to provide transgender minors with gender-affirming care.
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