VA Employees Face Firing for Wearing Rainbow Items

Employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Hampton Medical Center in Virginia were reportedly warned in October that they could face discipline or even be fired for wearing or displaying rainbow-themed items, including official VA Pride lanyards.

The warning is the latest example of the Trump administration’s efforts to downplay or erase acknowledgment of LGBTQ identity under the guise of eliminating so-called “wokeness” and other references to identity-based characteristics deemed “divisive.”

As reported by The Advocate, local leadership at the medical center sent out the directive citing an “executive order,” though it was unclear whether that referred to Donald Trump’s directive banning diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in federal agencies, or his order declaring that the U.S. government recognizes only two biological sexes as valid.

In one message, an employee claimed a physician told a colleague, “Anything rainbow, like lanyards, can get us fired on the spot.” The same employee added, “There’s nothing in writing that says this, and she can’t provide anything in writing either.”

Another message alleged that Michael Harper, the hospital’s interim executive director, had stated that rainbow-themed items would not be permitted on site. Other messages indicate that supervisors relayed the warning to staff, claiming the guidance came from the “central office.”

“They stated, per executive order, you cannot have lanyards, rainbow magnets, [or] shirts … and Central Office is coming down on our leadership, which is spilling down to us,” one staffer wrote.

One employee, refusing to comply, responded, “I’m going to wear my official VA-issued rainbow lanyard tomorrow as usual. I’m going to need an official policy or statement before I remove it, and y’all are gonna need to provide me with a replacement.”

Another staff member attributed the clampdown to internal complaints. “It’s because we have staff and vets being little snowflakes about colors, [which is] why they are coming down on it,” they wrote.

A doctor at another East Coast VA hospital, whose identity is being withheld to prevent retaliation, told The Advocate they had heard about the alleged crackdown on rainbow-themed gear and apparel at Hampton. While the doctor said it “hasn’t been an issue” at their facility, “any facilities [that] say you can’t wear them are going against policy.” The doctor added that rainbow flags and any rectangular items perceived as such have been banned from VA facilities.

The Department of Veterans Affairs did not respond to The Advocate’s inquiry asking whether the directive had been approved by the department or if Hampton Medical Center leadership acted independently.
https://www.metroweekly.com/2025/11/hampton-va-rainbow-ban/

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