D.C. residents protesting the growing threat of the Trump-Vance administration. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)
The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1, marking the second-longest shutdown in American history. This is the third government shutdown under a Trump presidency.
Government shutdowns have become a somewhat normalized part of American governance. Their circumstances often vary, but the solution is always the same: Congress must appropriate the funding for the federal government.
At the heart of the current shutdown is a disagreement over healthcare: Democrats want to extend Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies granted during COVID-19, while Republicans, with the Trump-Vance administration at the helm, argue these subsidies should expire to save money. The standoff has left millions at risk of losing coverage because they otherwise won’t be able to afford it.
As Congress fails to reach a decision on healthcare, roughly 4.5 million paychecks will be withheld from federal civilian employees. Additionally, 1.3 million active-duty personnel and over 750,000 National Guard and Reserve members are required to serve, potentially without pay, according to an Oct. 24 study by the Bipartisan Policy Center.
The Washington Blade spoke with two LGBTQ+ federal employees from different parts of the government to understand how the shutdown has disrupted their lives and added stress to an already uncertain future.
Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of retribution amid the current political climate surrounding federal employment and their sexuality. For LGBTQ+ federal employees, the stakes are often higher, as they must navigate not only financial and professional uncertainty but also a political environment that can threaten hard-won rights and recognition.
The first federal employee with whom the Blade spoke described the difficulty of focusing on work amid the chaos.
“I feel like I expected a certain amount of crazy with the shutdown, but I wasn’t quite ready for, as Steve Bannon said, ‘the muzzle velocity of all this’ — just how quickly they would implement things across the board,” they said. “That’s made it really hard to focus on any one issue, and I think even trans issues almost get buried under all the other things happening.”
They noted that the current shutdown differs from previous ones, in part because of the sheer number of concurrent crises and the quiet targeting of LGBTQ+-related programs.
“Even the last shutdown felt huge, it galvanized the news, but this time there are so many other critical things happening at the same time — ICE kidnapping people, the Epstein files, changes in the LGBT space,” they said. “A lot of it happens quietly, under the radar, and it’s troubling.”
The employee also raised concerns about the slow erosion of government services and oversight, particularly in ways that affect LGBTQ+ representation and history.
“It’s scary how quickly some government agencies can be stripped of their oversight and history. Like the National Park Service scrubbing things off the Stonewall historic marker, or LGBT references from museum exhibits in the Smithsonian, or kicking drag queens and Pride events from the Kennedy Center,” they said. “I feel like there are so many things that would have been huge stories, but just because of how fast everything has happened, it’s allowed a lot of stuff to happen quietly under the radar that’s pretty troubling.”
Despite these challenges, they emphasized the dedication of federal workers, many of whom choose public service over higher-paying private-sector jobs.
“One of the coolest things about D.C. is meeting people who were top of their class, who could have gone into business for themselves, but instead chose to give back and do work that has an impact on the country,” they said. “There are so many people quietly doing fascinating, important work, and they want to keep doing that.”
The employee expressed frustration over the broken budget system, which adds to the instability of federal employment.
“The budgeting system is broken. No other country operates the way we do, and it creates constant uncertainty for federal workers,” they said. “If budgets continued automatically unless changed, we could plan multi-year projects and make government work more effectively.”
Despite the challenges, they stressed that federal workers’ contributions benefit real people, often in ways that go unnoticed.
“Most federal workers do not 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 not be on us, but on the services we provide and the impact we make,” they said.
The Blade also spoke with a second federal employee, who works with the military. They highlighted the personal and financial pressures that accompany a furlough.
“I’ve always worked with the military, and I don’t have a sense of purpose being here without my job … I also need my paycheck, obviously,” they said.
They described the toll the shutdown is taking on mental health — specifically the anxiety over housing costs and the uncertainty of back pay.
“I bought a house, and now I have a mortgage to pay, and I can’t pay it. This is my source of income. I got three months of forbearance on my mortgage, which is a huge relief, because that’s probably my biggest bill,” they said.
Being part of the LGBTQ+ community has offered some support — particularly from smaller groups and businesses providing free or reduced-cost meals, events, and drinks to federal employees. Many LGBTQ+ bars and restaurants have begun offering free drink hours in response to the shutdown, including Crush, Shaw’s Tavern, and Shakers. These discounts provide a few moments of relief, the first federal employee explained, but they don’t fully shield workers from the pressures of a shutdown.
“As an out gay federal employee, there’s a broad network of support within the LGBTQ community … I have access to those networks, and I might be better off than my straight counterparts because of that,” they said.
The second federal employee also voiced concern about political bargaining over federal pay and protections.
“It’s troubling to see lawyers in the administration argue that we may not be entitled to back pay, when we are guaranteed this by law,” they said. “I would like to see them not use our pay and our livelihoods as a bargaining chip for their political agenda.”
Reflecting on the broader implications, the employee tied the shutdown to historical challenges for LGBTQ+ people in federal service.
“I joined the military after ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and now serve as a civilian in the same military … I’ve seen LGBT rights advance a lot in my lifetime,” they said. “I would hate to see that backslide and feel like I have to be concerned in my position … because of my sexuality.”
Another factor complicating the shutdown is the optics — both the visuals and rhetoric coming from the White House.
The Trump-Vance administration continues to push the narrative that Democrats alone are to blame, rather than acknowledging the broader lack of bipartisan cooperation. Coupled with the White House’s visible efforts to renovate and upgrade the presidential living quarters, it all carries a certain “let them eat cake” undertone.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the East Wing being demolished so quickly without process or public input, while other government workers are furloughed,” the second federal employee with whom the Blade spoke said. “It makes the White House feel like a commodity for sale, and it’s demoralizing for those who maintain it.”
“Seeing bulldozers funded by corporations plow 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 happening across the government: those entrusted to maintain it are out of work, while other interests move forward unchecked.”
They continued, explaining that unity — not division — is needed to do the type of work millions of federal employees perform every day.
“I can’t always tell who among my colleagues is conservative or liberal, and honestly, most people just want the government to work efficiently. Even conservatives, when they see potential improvements, want the government to deliver,” they said. “It’s the follow-through that really matters — the thousands of people slogging away doing the actual work.”
The National LGBT Media Association represents 13 legacy publications in major markets across the country with a collective readership of more than 400K in print and more than 1 million + online. Learn more here: NationalLGBTMediaAssociation.com.
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