Republicans are using a military spending bill to attack LGBTQ+ rights. Most Americans oppose it.

Just after House Republicans passed a bill that takes away rights from LGBTQ+ military servicemembers, a poll has found that most American voters oppose such legislation.

Earlier this month, the House passed the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with several anti-LGBTQ+ measures embedded in it, including a ban on TRICARE – the military’s health care system – paying for gender-affirming care, a ban on Pride flags at military installations, and a ban on the Department of Defense purchasing any book that has “pornographic materials” or “espouses radical gender ideology.” The bill also bans the military from helping servicemembers get abortions.

Related:

Far-right House Republicans are now using the budget process for anti-LGBTQ+ attacks

Radicals keep bringing amendments to defund anything LGBTQ+, and the rest of the party goes along to avoid rocking the boat.

The progressive think tank Data for Progress released the results of a July 19-20 survey of U.S. voters and found that 60 percent of voters believe that military spending bills should not contain measures that target LGBTQ+ people. An overwhelming majority of Democrats (67%) and a majority of Republicans (51%) agreed with the claim.

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63% of voters agreed that trans servicemembers should have access to gender-affirming health care. A majority of Democrats supported this, while a plurality of Republicans did so.

51% of voters oppose the measure to ban the DOD from helping servicemembers get abortions. 63% of Democrats oppose it, while a majority of Republicans support it.

The NDAA is currently being debated in the Democratic-majority Senate, where it is unlikely to pass with the anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion amendments. A version of the bill that can pass both chambers will have to then be agreed on in conference.

Far-right House members have said that the military is being weakened by measures to fight anti-LGBTQ+, sexist, and racist discrimination, which they call “the woke military.”

“We have drag shows taking place at Malmstrom Air Force Base,” Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) said as he introduced the amendment to ban TRICARE from paying for gender-affirming care. “There are 150 ICBM missiles that are being controlled by that Air Force base and by these individuals.”

“I do not want someone who doesn’t know if they are a man or a woman with their hand on a missile button.”