Members of Congress Urge USDA to Restore Explicit LGBTQI+ Nondiscrimination Protections

Washington, DC — Senator John Fetterman (PA), Senator Brian Schatz (HI), Congressional Equality Caucus (CEC) Chair Rep. Mark Takano (CA-39), and CEC Co-Chair and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture Angie Craig (MN-02) led 42 Members of Congress in a letter urging Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to reverse USDA’s narrowing of LGBTQI+ nondiscrimination protections in federal anti-hunger programs:

In their letter, the Members state:

“We write to express our strong disagreement with, and to urge you to reverse, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (“USDA” or “the Department”) recent guidance narrowing protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) students in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and child nutrition programs more broadly, as well as people receiving assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), from food banks, and through other federal anti-hunger programs.”

The letter continues:

“The Department’s ill-considered crusade against nondiscrimination policies will result in vulnerable school-age children going hungry. This guidance is especially concerning because it comes almost immediately following passage of Republican legislation that will cut SNAP assistance for 22.3 million families. It is important that USDA reverses its actions before children and families are directly harmed.”

The Members also say:

“All students deserve access to food at schools. We should not be encouraging discrimination against any student, including LGBTQI+ students, who need food assistance.”

The Members end their letter by asking USDA Secretary Rollins to answer the questions on: the number of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination complaints received by USDA; what national anti-hunger organizations, including those that serve students and the LGBTQI+ community, were consulted before changing USDA policy; and how USDA plans to ensure LGBTQI+ students do not face discrimination in school meal programs.

The Members ask Secretary Rollins to respond to their questions no later than September 2, 2025.

The full letter is available to read here.