The federal government has been shut down since October 1, making it the second longest shutdown in U.S. history. This is the third government shutdown under President Trump’s administration.
Government shutdowns have become a somewhat normalized part of American governance. Their situations are often different, but the solution is always the same. Congress must appropriate funds for the federal government.
At the heart of the current government shutdown are disagreements over health care. Democrats want to extend Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies granted during the coronavirus pandemic, while Republicans say the Trump-Vance administration is in control and that those subsidies should expire to save money. This conflict leaves millions of people unable to afford insurance and at risk of losing it.
Approximately $4.5 million in federal civilian pay will be garnished as Congress fails to reach a health care decision. Additionally, an Oct. 24 study by the Bipartisan Policy Center found that 1.3 million active duty personnel and more than 750,000 National Guard and Reserve officers will be required to serve, in some cases without pay.
The Washington Blade interviewed two LGBTQ federal employees in different parts of the agency to understand how the government shutdown has disrupted their lives and added stress to an already uncertain future.
Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of retribution amid the current political climate surrounding federal employment and sexuality. The stakes are higher for LGBTQ federal employees, who must navigate not only economic and professional uncertainty, but also a political environment that can threaten their hard-won rights and recognition.
Federal workers the Blade first spoke to described the difficulty of focusing on work amid the chaos.
“I feel like we expected some level of disruption with the shutdown, but we weren’t quite prepared for, as Steve Bannon said, ‘the initial velocity of all this,’ how quickly things would be implemented across the board,” they said. “That’s made it very difficult to focus on specific issues. I think even transgender issues have been pretty much buried under everything else that’s going on.”
They noted that the current shutdown is different from previous shutdowns, in part because of the sheer number of crises occurring simultaneously and the quiet targeting of LGBTQ-related programs.
“Even the last shutdown felt huge and made headlines, but this time there are so many other important events happening at the same time: ICE kidnappings, the Epstein file, changes in the LGBT field,” they said. “A lot of it happens quietly, out of sight, and it’s a nuisance.”
The official also expressed concern about the gradual erosion of government services and oversight, particularly impacting LGBTQ representation and history.
“It’s scary how quickly some government agencies’ oversight and history can be stripped away, like the National Park Service stripping Stonewall historical markers, removing LGBT references from museum exhibits at the Smithsonian, or kicking drag queens and Pride events out of the Kennedy Center,” they said. “It feels like there are a lot of things that should have made headlines, but it all happened so quickly that a lot of things are happening quietly under the radar, which is pretty alarming.”
Despite these challenges, they emphasized the dedication of federal employees, many of whom chose public service over higher-paying private sector jobs.
“One of the best things about D.C. is meeting people who were at the top of their class, who could have started their own businesses, but instead chose to give back and do work that made an impact on their country,” they said. “There are a lot of people who are quietly doing fascinating and important work, and they want to keep doing it.”
The employee expressed frustration with a broken budget system that increases federal employment insecurity.
“Our budgeting system is broken. No other country operates the way we do, creating constant uncertainty for federal employees,” they said. “If it continues automatically unless the budget changes, we will be able to plan multi-year projects and make government work more effectively.”
Despite the challenges, they emphasized that federal employees’ contributions benefit real people in ways that often go unnoticed.
“Most federal employees don’t want to be the story. We want the story to be about real people whose lives are better because of our work. Even during a shutdown, the focus should be on the services we provide and the impact we have, not on us,” they said.
The Blade also spoke with a second federal official working with the military. They highlighted the personal and financial pressures associated with being furloughed.
“I have been working in the military all my life, and without a job there is no sense of purpose in being here…of course I need a paycheck,” they said.
They described the toll the closures are taking on their mental health, particularly the worry about housing costs and the uncertainty of being owed money.
“I bought a house and now I have to pay the mortgage and I can’t pay it anymore. This is my source of income. I got a three-month moratorium on my mortgage, which was a huge relief, because that’s probably my biggest bill,” they said.
Being part of the LGBTQ community has brought support, especially from small groups and businesses that provide free or low-cost meals, events, and drinks to federal employees. In response to the shutdown, many LGBTQ bars and restaurants began offering free drink time, including Crush, Shaw’s Tavern, and Shakers. The first federal official explained that while these discounts provide temporary relief, they do not fully protect workers from the pressures of closures.
“As an openly gay federal employee, there are extensive support networks within the LGBTQ community…I have access to those networks, which may make me better off than a straight person,” they said.
A second federal employee also expressed concerns about political gamesmanship over federal pay and protections.
“It is troubling to see lawyers within the administration arguing that we are not entitled to the money we are owed when we are guaranteed by law,” they said. “I hope they don’t use our paychecks and livelihoods as bargaining chips for political purposes.”
Reflecting the broader impact, the official connected the federal government shutdown to historic challenges for LGBTQ people in the federal government.
“I joined the military after ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and now serve in the same military as a civilian…I have seen great strides in LGBT rights over my lifetime,” they said. “I don’t want to see that setback, and I don’t want to feel like I have to care about my position because of my sexuality.”
Another factor complicating the shutdown is the optics, both visual and rhetoric, coming from the White House.
The Trump-Vance administration refuses to acknowledge the widespread lack of bipartisan cooperation and continues to insist that Democrats are solely responsible. Coupled with the White House’s visible efforts to renovate and upgrade the presidential living quarters, there’s a certain “let them eat cake” vibe to it all.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the East Building demolished so quickly, with no process or public input, while other federal employees are being furloughed,” said a second federal employee the Blade spoke to. “It makes the White House feel like it’s for sale and demoralizes the people who keep it.”
“Seeing corporate-funded bulldozers plowing through the White House grounds while National Park Service employees are furloughed is demoralizing,” they added. “It’s a very visual metaphor for what’s going on across government: the people who are tasked with keeping it running are losing their jobs, while other interests are moving forward unchecked.”
They went on to explain that doing the kind of work that millions of federal workers do every day requires unity, not division.
“You can’t always tell who among your colleagues are conservatives or liberals,” they said. “Let’s be honest: Most people just want their government to work efficiently. Even conservatives want their government to deliver when they think there is potential for improvement.” “What really matters is the follow-through, and there are thousands of people doing the real work.”
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
