News
White House vague on whether Biden will confront Putin over anti-LGBTQ abuses
WH spokesperson defers for State Dept. on engagement
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was vague Friday on whether President Biden — after an initial call with Vladimir Putin on election interference, hacking into the U.S. government and possible bounties on U.S. troops — would similarly confront him on anti-LGBTQ human rights abuses in Russia.
Psaki made the comments in response to a question from the Washington Blade in the aftermath of a report this week that Russia arrested and detained two men perceived as gay and forcibly returned them to Chechnya, where they face persecution.
“Well, the president is not afraid to make clear to President Putin the areas where he has disagreement, areas where he is concerned,” Psaki said, without elaborating on whether that includes anti-LGBTQ abuses.
The incident in Russia was the latest report of the Kremlin essentially giving a wink and nod to Chechnya over anti-LGBTQ human rights abuses at the hands of the government in the semi-autonomous Republic, including reports of concentration camps for gay men. Russia and Chechnya have denied any abuses.
Psaki pointed out Biden’s call with Putin had occurred weeks ago, so “the next contacts with the Russians would be at a lower level either at the State Department or other officials” and deferred to them “for a more up-to-date response on our engagement.”
Asked whether sanctions would be appropriate for anti-LGBTQ abuses in Russia or elsewhere, Psaki declined to comment and cited an ongoing review of Russia’s adverse actions on the world stage.
“There’s a review that’s ongoing about a range of problematic actions that have been taken by the Russians,” Psaki said. “And I’m not going to get ahead of that process.”
That’s consistent with Psaki in the past several weeks citing an ongoing review within the Biden administration, including the poisoning and arrest of Putin rival Alexei Navalny, when asked about possible consequences or sanctions for Russia.
During the Trump administration, the White House response was virtually non-existent at the height of reports of anti-LGBTQ abuses in Chechnya in 2017. Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she didn’t know whether the issue came up in a meeting between former President Trump and the Russian ambassador, nor whether Trump had been briefed on the reported atrocities.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price, who previously said the Biden administration was “troubled” by the account in Russia, had no updates when asked by the Blade during the Friday teleconference, saying “you’ve heard me, you’ve heard others speak out forcibly about Russia’s abysmal human rights record.”
Price did note, however, Biden’s presidential memorandum that commits the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ rights abroad.
“The president, then-candidate Biden committed on the campaign trail to prioritizing the protection and defense of LGBTQI rights around the world, and he made good on that promise early in the administration by issuing the presidential memorandum that you saw several days ago,” he said in response to the Blade’s question. “It is now once again officially the policy of the United States, of the Biden-Harris administration, to stand up for and to defend the rights of LGBTQI people.”
Michael K. Lavers contributed to this story.
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.
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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