Veterans Affairs Department scrubs Lincoln quote for gender-neutral mission statement

The Department of Veterans Affairs has removed a quote from Abraham Lincoln that referenced a soldier’s widow from its mission statement. While the new statement still mentions Lincoln, it uses more gender-neutral language about caring for the veteran’s families, caregivers, and survivors.

The department has conducted two surveys pertaining to the mission statement, and the revised version was preferred by veterans across every conceivable demographic group. The agency also conducted several “small group engagements” with veterans to determine “what was most important to them in a VA mission statement” and then “incorporated that feedback into quantitative research.”

The new mission statement reflects that the VA serves all the heroes who served our country, regardless of their race, gender, background, sexual orientation, religion, zip code, or identity.”

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough said that “We are here to serve all veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors, and now, our mission statement reflects exactly that.”

The department says it will replace the old statement that is posted in roughly 50% of VA’s facilities with the new one over the coming months. Whenever any veteran, family member, caregiver, or survivor walks by a VA facility, they will see themselves in the mission statement on the outside of the building.

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