What the Government Shutdown Means for Trans Americans
Failing to reach an agreement to temporarily fund the US government, congress members have allowed the government to shutdown for now. Here’s what that means for our community.
by Aly Gibbs
It’s been a confusing, scary start to the week thanks to congressional Republicans and the president, who have decided to wage war against American taxpayers over trans healthcare.
On Monday, PinkNews ran an article about the impending shutdown that some construed as inaccurate fearmongering. The article’s headline at publication read “Trump threatens to shut down US government unless Democrats agree to ban all trans health care,” but has since been changed to, “Trump government shutdown: Trans people urge Democrats not to allow anti-trans measures to pass.”
The truth is somewhat more complicated, as is often the case when it comes to the functions of any world government. Journalist Eric Michael Garcia provided a particularly succinct explanation of the situation on Bluesky shortly after the PinkNews article was published: Bluster from Trump about “trans surgeries for minors” and “men in women’s sports” on Truth Social, he said, confused the issue. Instead, the debate was about passing a continuing resolution, or an agreement to fund the government beyond the shutdown deadline while discussions about the actual financial allotments are ongoing. Garcia drew an important distinction between Republicans’ long-term desire to pass financial bills stuffed with anti-trans poison pills and the upcoming vote on a clean continuing resolution, i.e., one without anti-trans riders attached.
Today, the final to approve a continuing resolution, Erin Reed published a more thorough explanation of the procedures taking place and the potential threats we as a community face from the impending vote and the votes to follow. The House appropriations bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, she explained, “is packed with anti-LGBTQ+ riders,” including a provision that would ban “any federal funds” from supporting gender-affirming care, regardless of age.
“At minimum, the measure would end Medicaid and Medicare coverage for transgender healthcare nationwide,” she reported. “The bill also carries other provisions: gutting protections for queer foster children, imposing a nationwide sports ban, and prohibiting Pride flags in public buildings.”
Reed outlines other potential threats in bills put forward by other committees, and I recommend reading her article if you want those details.
Congressional Democrats had two options, she explains: Approve a continuing resolution or embrace a full government shutdown, the first since 2018. She said that analysts believed in negotiations after a shutdown, Democrats would concede to some Republican demands. The question, then, is whether or not they completely throw their trans constituents to the wolves in the coming days, weeks and months. Interestingly, Reed said she received an email after publication that “allies in congress were upset” as a result of her many readers calling in about the risk of anti-trans legislation passing.
At 6:30 PM CDT, the Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution. An hour later, the Senate adjourned for the evening, ensuring a government shutdown at midnight. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that upwards of 750,000 federal employees will be furloughed (temporarily unemployed) during the shutdown, while Trump has signaled that he plans to lay off some employees in the interim, and wants the Democrats to be blamed for it.
For now, we can only hope that congressional Democrats find enough of a backbone to protect our rights in the negotiations to come. If you haven’t already, consider calling your representatives in congress.
Aly Gibbs (She/They), formerly Alyssa Steinsiek, is a trans writer who reports on news important to the queer community.
