Equality Caucus Condemns Anti-LGBTQI+ Riders in National Defense Authorization Act
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the Congressional Equality Caucus released the following statement on the anti-LGBTQI+ amendments to H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025:
“Republicans love to claim how they support our troops in one breath, just to turn around and vote to discriminate against them with the next,” said Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “Like last year, House Republicans voted to add poison pill, anti-LGBTQI+ provisions to the NDAA that discriminate against our LGTBQI+ servicemembers and their families. The Equality Caucus remains committed to preventing these discriminatory provisions from becoming law.”
BACKGROUND
The following amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 were adopted by the House:
Steube #46: Censorship of LGBTQI+ Stories
This amendment would, among other provisions, prohibit funds for the Department of Defense Education Activity from being used to purchase, maintain, or display in a school library or classroom books that include transgender and intersex characters or touch on topics related to gender identity or variations in sex characteristics (i.e., intersex traits).
It specifically prohibits any material that “espouses, advocates, or promotes radical gender ideology.” It defines “radical gender ideology” to include, among other topics, concepts that state or suggest that “biological sex is fluid, interchangeable, or exists beyond the binary of male and female”—erasing the existence of intersex people, and that an individual can “have a different identity than that of their biological sex”—erasing the existence of transgender people. The amendment’s definition is not limited to human beings, meaning DODEA schools would also be prohibited from teaching about animals, such as clownfish, which can change their sex.
(Roll Call Vote #271)
Mills #49: Pride Flag Ban
This amendment would ban Pride flags from any workplace, common access area, or public area of the Department of Defense. It would do so by striking a portion of the FY24 NDAA that allows the military chain of command or senior civilian leadership to approve the display of a flag—a provision that was intended to give DOD the flexibility to continue to display Pride flags.
(Roll Call Vote #273)
Rosendale #52 & Norman #53: Banning Medically-Necessary Care for Transgender People
Rosendale #52 would ban TRICARE from covering and furnishing gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments. Specifically, it would prohibit “gender transition surgeries furnished for the purpose of the gender alteration of an individual who identifies as transgender” and “hormone treatments furnished for the purpose of the gender alteration of an individual who identifies as transgender.”
(Roll Call Vote #262)
Norman #53 would prohibit the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) from covering or providing referrals for “gender transition procedures”—including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries—for servicemembers’ dependent minor children. The amendment would further prohibit servicemembers from being reassigned to a different duty station via EFMP in order to provide their dependents with gender-affirming care.
(Roll Call Vote #275)
Brecheen #54: Drag Show Ban
This amendment would ban authorized funds from being obligated or expended for a drag show, drag queen story hour, or similar event.
(Adopted by Voice Vote)