Our new study finds that 13% of LGBT adults—approximately 1.8 million people—rely on Medicaid for their primary health insurance, compared to 7% of non-LGBT adults. Transgender adults and cisgender lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to rely on Medicaid as their primary source of health insurance than non-LGBT people and gay and bisexual men.

*Statistically significant difference

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a reconciliation bill on Thursday that includes several proposed changes to Medicaid, including imposing work requirements for enrollees, stricter eligibility checks, and incentives for states to not expand Medicaid. The bill also includes provisions that prohibit Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care for transgender people of any age.

These changes would have a disproportionate impact on specific subpopulations of LGBT adults, including those living with low incomes, those raising children, individuals with disabilities, people of color, sexual minority women, and transgender people.

Thank you to everyone who attended our annual DC Spring Reception on Wednesday evening. We were excited to honor Jim Obergefell with our 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award and to hear insights on current LGBTQ law and policy from our esteemed panel, Jocelyn Samuels, Reggie Greer, and Victor Madrigal-Borloz. Many thanks to King & Spaulding for providing the phenomenal space and Fenwick, LLP for their support.

Shawn Avidan | Gleason/Kettel Fellow

Shawn is a J.D. candidate at New York University School of Law. He previously externed at Advocates for Trans Equality, supporting their litigation and outreach work. Shawn will spend the summer at Lambda Legal in New York City, working on nationwide litigation and policy initiatives, including with Lambda's Youth in Out-of-Home Care Project. In the fall, Shawn will join Disability Rights New York.

Join us for a lunchtime book talk with Candace Bond-Theriault, author of Queering Reproductive Justice: An Invitation, to discuss the intersections of reproductive justice, racial justice, and LGBTQIA+ movements. 

Join us for a webinar on the current political and legal environment regarding LGBTQ research funding and data collection and its impact on the work of independent and early-career researchers and our understanding of LGBTQ communities.

The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law is an academic research institute dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy.