Published

4 hours ago

on

October 21, 2026

Virginia’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program on Oct. 13 stopped covering gender-affirming care for transgender minors in response to a Trump-Vance administration directive.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in August announced federal funding could no longer be used to pay for gender-affirming care through Medicaid or CHIP.

Virginia’s Medicaid program will no longer cover gender-affirming care for anyone under 18; and its CHIP will no longer cover it for those under 19. Advocates say this decision will adversely impact trans youth with parents who cannot afford private insurance or pay out of pocket for health care.

State Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) in 2020 when she was in the Virginia House of Delegates introduced House Bill 1429 that prohibits health insurance companies from discriminating against policy holders based on gender identity. Then-Gov. Ralph Northam signed it. 

“In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed my bipartisan bill defining transition-related care as medically necessary,” said Roem in an Oct. 13 social media post. “It also prohibits health insurers from discriminating against trans folks. When the feds set out to hurt, Virginia should step up to help.” 

Roem in 2018 became the first openly trans person seated in a state legislature in the U.S. She has been in the Virginia Senate since 2024.

“As the author of the bipartisan 2020 bill HB 1429 that defined transition-related care as medically necessary and prohibited health insurers from discriminating against trans people, I know how important it is for patients to be able to follow their doctor’s orders,” Roem told the Washington Blade on Tuesday. “Medical decisions need to be left to patients, their families and their physicians, not the federal administration.

“When the federal government intentionally fails to cover medically necessary health care for trans people through Medicaid, then that means families with the money to afford care can get it while families with the same needs that can’t afford it are being told to go without that same medically necessary care,” she added. “Until the federal government rectifies that discriminatory inequity either through a policy change or through the courts, the commonwealth of Virginia should step up to take care of Virginians’ health care needs.”

Roem noted she “lived uninsured for 2.5 years.”

“I also know what it’s like to have had health insurance not cover my health care needs,” she said. “Simply put, when you have a prescription for your medically necessary care from your physician, you should be able to afford it, no matter who you are.”

Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has also spoken on the issue.

“This is not a question of whether or not our administration is making a choice to pull back funds,” she said in response to a recent question about it. “This is a question of an example once more of a federal government and a Trump administration that is changing access to health care.”

“Once again, the Trump administration is targeting and using as pawns people who rely on Medicaid for their healthcare coverage, and in this case, children,” added Spanberger. “So we are looking at every option available, and certainly, I won’t speak for the Attorney General’s office, but I do know that the Attorney General’s office has been very forward-leaning and focused on making sure that they are protecting all Virginians who are summarily and without justification, at the whims of a reckless administration, losing their access to healthcare or to doctor-prescribed and doctor-driven medical coverage.”

Michael K. Lavers contributed to this story.

Published

2 days ago

on

October 19, 2026

Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge has urged Virginians to vote against a proposed state constitutional amendment that would enshrine marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Burbidge, who heads the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, spoke about his position on Question 2 in a video that Catholics Vote No promoted on its website. The diocese also posted it on its YouTube channel.

“[Question 2] would remove from our state constitution the truth, as Jesus taught, that marriage is between one man and one woman,” says Burbidge. “It would also enshrine gender ideology by falsely separating the reality of one’s sex and gender, obscuring the truth that we are created in the image and likeness of God.”

Burbidge also urged Virginians to vote no on Question 1, which would enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution.

(Catholic Diocese of Arlington video)

Early voting began in Virginia on Sept. 18.

Equality Virginia and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia are among the groups behind Virginians for Marriage Equality, a campaign that urges voters to vote yes on Question 2. Former Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2025, is among those who oppose marriage equality and reproductive rights protections in the state constitution.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

October 1, 2026

A referendum on whether to enshrine marriage equality in Virginia’s constitutional amendment is on the ballot this year.

If voters approve Question 2, it will codify the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell ruling in 2015 that extended marriage rights to same-sex couples across the country — gays and lesbians have been able to legally marry in Virginia since Oct. 6, 2014.

Ron Bookbinder and James Fisher are a married couple who live in Arlington.

They have been together for 38 years — Bookbinder and Fisher married in 2014.

“We think this is a critical vote to remove this discriminatory language from the constitution and to ensure that going forward, no matter what happens, the state of Virginia will ensure marriage equality,” Fisher told the Washington Blade. “It is it is really difficult and upsetting to think that our current state constitution would prohibit same-sex marriage, even though the federal government overrides that now. There’s no saying what may happen in the future.” 

Bookbinder said it was important for him and Fisher to get married “to gain social equality.”

“I was surprised how good it felt, how important it was to begin to say, ‘my husband rather than my partner,'” Bookbinder said.

Bookbinder then explained why it feels good to be married.

“Is it a legal partner, a business partner, a tennis partner, you know, or a romantic partner? But when you say my husband James, everyone knows exactly what you mean and confers an equal status with everyone else who’s married, and we were both surprised at how good it felt and how equal it felt to suddenly be married and be able to state that you were married and discuss your husband rather than your partner, and I would hate to lose that,” he said. 

Bookbinder and Fisher said they are hopeful that voters will approve the amendment, noting Virginia has become more progressive over the years.

“I think people have, with the Supreme Court decision, people have seen that a same-sex marriage is just a marriage,” stated Fisher. “It’s just two people who love each other, and I think more and more people have attended a same-sex marriage, someone in their family or a friend, and the experience of what this is, firsthand experience, is so important in shaping people’s opinions, and I think the period of time that we’ve had since the Obergefell decision has given a lot of voters that experience, which I think is really important and powerful.” 

The couple also said the push to enshrine marriage equality in Virginia’s constitution is in response to the Trump-Vance administration.

“And I think due to President Trump doing all the horrible things he’s done to so many groups, including LGBTQ, especially trans people, that Virginians are kind of pushed to be even more progressive to protect those who need protection, which would include the LGBTQ community in terms of marriage equality, so I’m confident it will pass,” said Bookbinder. 

Narissa Rahaman, executive director of Equality Virginia, sent the Blade a statement about early voting on Question 2 that has already begun.

“With early voting now underway, our focus is making sure every Virginian knows Question 2 is on their ballot,” said Rahaman. “The outdated ban on same-sex marriage still in Virginia’s state constitution leaves a gap in protections for the thousands of same-sex couples that call this state home, but after 20 years we have the chance to fix it.” 

Log onto www.mobilize.us/vaformarriage to find out more about the campaign in support of Question 2.