News
Education Dept. to count married gay couples for financial aid
Duncan says move ensures ‘every single American is treated equally’
The Department of Education under Arne Duncan will begin recognizing same-sex marriage under FAFSA. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
The Obama administration extended on Friday a policy counting same-sex marriages as equal to opposite-sex unions for the purpose of federal student financial aid, although the change could increase the amount of money a student would have to contribute toward an education.
The policy, announced by the Education Department, is the latest in a series of policy developments bringing the Obama administration into alignment with the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Under the new guidance, a student or a parent of a student, will be considered legally married if they’re in a same-sex marriage when applying for aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The new policy applies to a same-sex marriage included on the application even if the applicant lives in a non-marriage equality state.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement the new policy helps ensure equality for students seeking financial aid.
“We must continue to ensure that every single American is treated equally in the eyes of the law, and this important guidance for students is another step forward in that effort,” Duncan said. “As students fill out their FAFSA this coming year, I’m thrilled they’ll be able to do so in a way that is more fair and just.”
The information provided by applicants on the FAFSA is used to determine a student’s expected family contribution, which determines the student’s eligibility for federal need-based student aid.
Although the change means equal treatment for same-sex and opposite-sex married couples, it also could trigger a greater family contribution by making it seem like a student has access to more resources.
An Education Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the applicant in LGBT families would have to pay more for their education under some circumstances.
“It is possible, but at the end of the day, what is important is that we’re doing it in a way that treats everyone equally,” the official said. “We don’t know for sure. Every case is different. It is possible that the contribution level would be higher, meaning less federal support. But I can’t say that with certainty.”
The change will be reflected in the 2014-2015 FAFSA form, which is set to use terms like “Parent 1 (father/mother/stepparent)” and “Parent 2 (father/mother/stepparent)” instead of gender-specific terms like “mother” and “father.” The new FAFSA form will come out Jan. 1.
But the new change also has an impact on the 2013-2014 FAFSA. If the student hasn’t yet submitted that form for this school year, he or she is expected to respond to all questions related to marital status in accordance with the updated guidance. A student who previously submitted a 2013-2014 FAFSA may elect to submit a correction in light of the change
The new policy builds off an earlier announcement from the Education Department in April prior to the court ruling against DOMA requiring FAFSA to count the resources of same-sex parents for a student, if those parents live together, when determining eligibility for financial aid.
Michael Cole-Schwartz, a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, said his organization is happy with the new policy.
“We’re pleased that the Department of Education, like other federal agencies, has taken steps to ensure that same-sex spouses are fully and equally recognized, regardless of where those couples live,” Cole-Schwartz said. “This policy will ensure that students in same-sex marriages and the children of married same-sex couples are treated fairly and equally under the federal financial aid system.”
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
District of Columbia
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
Three LGBTQ icons to lead parade
WorldPride organizers announced Thursday that actress and trans activist Laverne Cox, powerhouse performer Reneé Rapp, and LGBTQ trailblazer Deacon Maccubbin will serve as grand marshals for this year’s WorldPride parade.
The Capital Pride Alliance, which is organizing WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., revealed the honorees in a press release, noting that each has made a unique contribution to the fabric of the LGBTQ community.
Cox made history in 2014 as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category for her role in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.” She went on to win a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for her documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word,” which followed seven young trans people as they navigated coming out.
Rapp, a singer and actress who identifies as a lesbian, rose to prominence as Regina George in the Broadway musical “Mean Girls.” She reprised the role in the 2024 film adaptation and also stars in Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” portraying a character coming to terms with her sexuality. Rapp has released an EP, “Everything to Everyone,” and an album, “Snow Angel.” She announced her sophomore album, “Bite Me,” on May 21 and is slated to perform at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds.
Deacon Maccubbin, widely regarded as a cornerstone of Washington’s LGBTQ+ history, helped organize D.C.’s first Gay Pride Party in 1975. The event took place outside Lambda Rising, one of the first LGBTQ bookstores in the nation, which Maccubbin founded. For his decades of advocacy and activism, he is often referred to as “the patriarch of D.C. Pride.”
“I am so honored to serve as one of the grand marshals for WorldPride this year. This has been one of the most difficult times in recent history for queer and trans people globally,” Cox said. “But in the face of all the rhetorical, legislative and physical attacks, we continue to have the courage to embrace who we truly are, to celebrate our beauty, resilience and bravery as a community. We refuse to allow fear to keep us from ourselves and each other. We remain out loud and proud.”
“Pride is everything. It is protection, it is visibility, it is intersectional. But most importantly, it is a celebration of existence and protest,” Rapp said.
The three will march down 14th Street for the WorldPride Parade in Washington on June 7.
Congress
House passes reconciliation with gender-affirming care funding ban
‘Big Beautiful Bill’ now heads to the Senate
The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted 215-214 for passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” reconciliation package, which includes provisions that would prohibit the use of federal funds to support gender-affirming care.
But for an 11th hour revision of the bill late Wednesday night by conservative lawmakers, Medicaid and CHIP would have been restricted only from covering treatments and interventions administered to patients younger than 18.
The legislation would also drop requirements that some health insurers must cover gender-affirming care as an “essential health benefit” and force states that currently mandate such coverage to find it independently. Plans could still offer coverage for transgender care but without the EHB classification patients will likely pay higher out of pocket costs.
To offset the cost of extending tax cuts from 2017 that disproportionately benefited the wealthiest Americans, the reconciliation bill contains significant cuts to spending for federal programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The Human Rights Campaign criticized House Republicans in a press release and statement by the group’s president, Kelley Robinson:
“People in this country want policies and solutions that make life better and expand access to the American Dream. Instead, anti-equality lawmakers voted to give handouts to billionaires built on the backs of hardworking people — with devastating consequences for the LGBTQ+ community.
“If the cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP or resources like Planned Parenthood clinics weren’t devastating enough, House Republicans added a last minute provision that expands its attacks on access to best practice health care to transgender adults.
“This cruel addition shows their priorities have never been about lowering costs or expanding health care access–but in targeting people simply for who they are. These lawmakers have abandoned their constituents, and as they head back to their districts, know this: they will hear from us.”
Senate Republicans are expected to pass the bill with the budget reconciliation process, which would allow them to bypass the filibuster and clear the spending package with a simple majority vote.
Changes are expected as the bill will be reviewed and amended by committees, particularly the Finance Committee, and then brought to the floor for debate — though modifications are expected to focus on Medicaid reductions and debate over state and local tax deductions.
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