Democrats Defend LGBTQIA+ Students From Forced Outing While Republicans Strip Trans Healthcare
As Washington State protects students from being outed, House Republicans push a federal bill slashing healthcare for trans people. We’ve seen the culture wars before, but this one’s got sharper teeth.
In two corners of the U.S., lawmakers are sending very different messages about whose lives matter, and whose don’t. In Washington State, a new law shields school students from being forcibly outed to their parents. It’s a move that recognises the risks some young people face at home simply for being themselves. Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., House Republicans just passed a bill that guts healthcare for transgender people, of any age, if that care receives federal funding.
Let’s start with the bigger blow.
The “Big Beautiful Bill” Isn’t So Beautiful If You’re Trans
While most Americans were sleeping last Thursday morning, the Republican-controlled House passed a sweeping policy package by a single vote. Dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” by Donald Trump, the legislation slashes Medicaid, restricts food access, and ends federally funded gender-affirming care.
The vote? 215 to 214. Two Republicans broke ranks, and one abstained. Every Democrat voted no.
Buried deep in the bill were last-minute amendments targeting trans healthcare. Medicaid and CHIP funding for gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgery, would be stripped away entirely. The same goes for Affordable Care Act coverage. That means if you rely on public insurance, you’re out of luck.
It’s the first time Congress has moved to create a de facto national ban on gender-affirming care for people without private insurance. Not just for minors, but adults too.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill could leave 13.7 million people without health insurance. The hit is especially brutal for trans people, many of whom already live below the poverty line. The Williams Institute reports that nearly one in five trans adults in the U.S. is on Medicaid. For low-income queer families, that number jumps significantly.
David Stacy of the Human Rights Campaign didn’t mince words. “This bill shows the true end goal for the MAGA regime is to target all transgender people and deny their existence,” he said. HRC President Kelley Robinson called the measure “cruel” and promised grassroots resistance.
Science Isn’t on the GOP’s Side
Every major medical association in the U.S., from the American Academy of Paediatrics to the Endocrine Society, backs gender-affirming care as safe, evidence-based, and often lifesaving. But Republicans leading this bill chose politics over medicine.
“This should be between patients, providers, and (where applicable) parents. Not politicians,” said Rep. Mark Takano, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
The bill’s future is uncertain. It now heads to the Senate, where moderate Republicans like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have already raised red flags over its impact on Medicaid and rural hospitals. Rand Paul has also pledged to vote no. But Republican leaders are hoping to get it to Trump’s desk by July 4.
Meanwhile, in Washington State… A Different Kind of Protection
While federal lawmakers wage a war on public healthcare, state officials in Washington passed a law to protect queer students from being outed without consent. Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 1296 into law this week, reinforcing rights for students to access health and counselling support without mandatory parental disclosure.
The law also establishes formal complaint pathways if students face discrimination based on gender or sexuality in schools. Naturally, it’s stirred backlash from conservatives who say it undermines parental rights.
BrieAnne Gray, a local parent, told KOMO News, “It should never be the government’s choice.” But supporters of the law argue it’s not about excluding parents, it’s about protecting students who might not be safe if outed.
Rep. Monica Jurado Stonier, who sponsored the bill, made it clear, saying, “Youth deserve a place where they can be seen and acknowledged in their full selves.” It’s a quiet but powerful affirmation that students don’t lose their dignity just because they’re under 18.
There’s no shortage of political spin on both sides of these laws. But the underlying question remains: who gets to feel safe in America today?
At DNA, we know that being yourself shouldn’t be a luxury. Whether it’s accessing basic healthcare or simply existing at school without fear, these aren’t “culture war” issues, they’re survival issues.
As the Senate prepares to take up the House bill, and as Washington’s student protections go into effect, we’re watching closely. Because the right to be who you are shouldn’t depend on where you live, or who’s in charge that week.
