Recent Budget Cuts and the LGBTQ+ Community

While the deep budget cuts to public health programs and health-related research during the past 18 months have affected Americans across all demographic groups, certain groups have been affected more than others. As Pride Month draws to a close, let us explore some of these effects on one of the most marginalized demographic groups in the country - the LGBTQ+ community. While less than 11% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+, the effects of these recent budget cuts have been experienced at much higher rates than among the broader population.

People who identify as LGBTQ+ experience significantly higher rates of poverty and unemployment than people who identify as straight and cis gender. This is largely due to social stigma, widespread discrimination in the workplace and in the hiring process, and lack of national legal protections against such discrimination. As a result, members of the LGBTQ+ community rely on social safety net services - Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and housing assistance programs - at much higher rates than the broader population. While initial cuts to Medicaid and SNAP have already been implemented, additional funding cuts will be implemented in the coming months, all as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025. The federal housing program for people living with HIV has also been targeted for elimination. Under the Trump Administration, targeted outreach to the LGBTQ+ community from the national 988 crisis line has been terminated, despite higher rates of depression and suicide among those who identify as LGBTQ+. These rates are only likely to rise further as the ability of people in the LGBTQ+ community to access social safety net programs diminish.

Public health, at its core, is about the health and well-being of the population, the entire population. Everyone in our communities deserves to have access to the tools and resources that they need to live healthy and productive lives. Public health must receive sustainable funding to provide these tools and resources to those who need them the most. Public health, at its core, is about equity and justice for every individual in our communities, not just for the privileged few.