House Republicans pass anti-LGBTQ amendments with defense spending bill
House Republicans on Thursday passed a series of anti-LGBTQ amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, which establishes recommended funding levels for the U.S.
Department of Defense each year. The legislation also carries riders from GOP members attacking abortion access and diversity programs.
The anti-LGBTQ amendments, which were introduced by Republican U.S. Reps. Matt Rosendale (Mont.), Ralph Norman (S.C.) and Lauren Boebert (Colo.), would: Undermine protections against race and LGBTQ discrimination in the military; Restrict abortion access; Deny essential healthcare, including gender-affirming care, to transgender service members and military families; Eliminate access to the Exceptional Family Member Program for trans or gender nonconforming youth and family members thereby limiting healthcare access based on location; Codify the prohibition on drag shows and use of drag queens as digital ambassadors; Ban books that do not uphold the gender binary as well as disallow Pride month instruction and/or celebration at DoD Education Activity schools; and Allowing only certain flags to be flown over military installations — thereby prohibiting Pride flags from being flown. “Extreme MAGA Republicans continued their relentless attacks on LGBTQ+ people today by using the National Defense Authorization Act to push their anti-equality agenda,” said U.S.
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “They showed their complete disregard for our LGBTQ+ servicemembers by adopting amendments that strip medically-necessary care from transgender servicemembers and their families, censor LGBTQ+ servicemembers by prohibiting the display of Pride flags, and ban books that include transgender
