The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community.
- The federal government has removed gender identity questions from key crime surveys, cutting off vital data on violence against LGBTQ+ people.
- Ohio Republicans blocked LGBTQ+ advocates from testifying against anti-trans language in the state budget, silencing concerns over harmful provisions.
- Republicans’ new reconciliation proposal includes cuts that the Human Rights Campaign says could devastate LGBTQ+ communities, especially low-income people, those living with HIV, and transgender youth. HRC warns the bill threatens Medicaid access, trans health care, and food assistance programs like SNAP.
- Over 100 lawmakers are urging Health and Human Services not to cut LGBTQ+ youth support from the 988 suicide hotline, warning the move could endanger lives.
- A new federal policy now requires IDs like passports to reflect sex assigned at birth, leading to rejections for transgender and nonbinary applicants. The ACLU is challenging the policy in court, where a judge has called it discriminatory and issued a preliminary injunction.