Republicans Attach Anti-LGBTQ Riders to Funding Bill
The proposed provisions would ban Pride flags at federal buildings and restrict funding tied to LGBTQ rights and gender-affirming care.
Republicans have attached five anti-LGBTQ riders to the National Security and Department of State Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2027.
The bill, which funds the U.S. State Department and national security programs, is considered “must-pass” legislation. Lawmakers often attach riders — unrelated provisions with little connection to the underlying bill — to such measures in order to push through proposals that might not survive greater scrutiny.
According to an Instagram post from the Congressional Equality Caucus, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee attached the anti-LGBTQ provisions to the funding bill.
One provision would prohibit the Pride flag from being flown over federal buildings. Another would bar funding for Special Envoys and Representatives not explicitly authorized by federal statute. The latter appears aimed at eliminating positions such as the U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, created under the Biden administration to advocate for protections against violence and discrimination targeting LGBTQ people.
A third provision prohibits funds from being used in ways that violate executive orders, including one issued by President Donald Trump rescinding federal contractor nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people under the guise of eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
A fourth provision would prohibit organizations that provide or promote gender-affirming care for transgender people from receiving federal funds.
A fifth provision reinforces three existing rules, approved in January 2026, expanding the so-called “Global Gag Rule.” The policy prohibits foreign non-governmental organizations from receiving federal funds if they provide information about abortion, support LGBTQ rights or transgender identity, or promote diversity initiatives.
Last week, Democrats introduced legislation to overturn the Global Gag Rule, arguing that it weaponizes foreign aid and harms women and girls, marginalized communities, and LGBTQ people.
All five riders appear designed to align with executive orders issued by Trump since taking office in January 2025. If enacted by Congress, they would be more difficult for a future Democratic president to reverse.
In recent years, House Republicans have attached a host of riders and amendments dealing with LGBTQ issues and other so-called “culture war” topics to major funding bills. Most of those provisions were ultimately removed from final legislation after failing to secure enough support in the U.S. Senate.
But in 2024, Republicans successfully forced then-President Joe Biden to sign a bill containing a provision barring the display of Pride flags at U.S. embassies. Later that year, Biden signed another funding bill containing an amendment prohibiting TRICARE — the health insurance program for military service members — from covering medical treatments for “gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization” for minors who are dependents of military families, targeting transition-related hormone therapy and surgical interventions.
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