The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

Great new rules, if for anything they're setting the tone when it comes to housing:

Most notably, the rules would prohibit lenders from using sexual orientation or gender identity as a basis to determine a borrower's eligibility for Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgage financing.

The HUD also said that HUD programs would define "family" broadly, which seems to be a way to work around DOMA:

The proposed rule states, "The majority of HUD's rental housing and homeownership programs already interpret 'family' broadly. ... This proposed rule clarifies that families who otherwise eligible for HUD programs may not be excluded because one or more members of the family may be an LGBT individual or have an LGBT relationship or be perceived to be such an individual or in such relationship."

Also, they're going to ban housing programs from asking people about their sexual orientation and gender identity:

Finally, Donovan said the proposed rule "prohibits inquiries regarding sexual orientation or gender identity" in all HUD-assisted housing, or housing whose financing is insured by HUD. HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity John Trasviña clarified that local public housing authorities would be required to follow the new rules.

Now whether and how this is going to be enforced is another. All I know, as someone who lives in public housing (although in another country), is that I'd be leery of the housing manager for our neighborhood asking too much about what the relationship between Alberto and me is. While kicking us out would be hard, there are other things she could do make life unpleasant.