America’s LGBTQ+ community is facing growing uncertainty and a potential crisis as a wave of executive orders and policy shifts by the Trump administration roll back rights and protection, sparking fears of increased discrimination, marginalization, and harm. With over 13 million individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ and over 1.6 million specifically identifying as transgender, the implications are far-reaching and alarming.
Gender identity recognition undermined
One of Trump’s first moves in his second term was to sign an executive order recognizing only male and female sexes and eliminating the gender-neutral ‘X’ option from passports. In addition, the administration issued an executive order that denied the validity of gender identity, effectively rolling back protection for transgender individuals. This order reverses the pro-LGBTQ+ policies introduced by former President Joe Biden, which included prohibiting discrimination in education and housing based on sexual orientation and gender identity and allowing transgender military service.
The administration is now enforcing a ban on transgender military personnel and following a Supreme Court ruling, the Pentagon is removing up to 1,000 openly transgender service members and reviewing medical records to identify others.
Concurrently, military libraries have been ordered to review and remove books that address diversity, anti-racism, and gender issues. So far, almost 400 books have been removed from the U.S. Naval Academy library.
Funding cuts
The Trump administration has slashed over 270 grants worth at least US$125 million and canceled approximately US$800 million intended for LGBTQ health research, including vital studies on cancer and HIV which disproportionately affect these communities.
Meanwhile, a number of grants intended for experiments involving transgender mice, rats, and monkeys have been cancelled, with the authorities citing wasteful spending of taxpayer funds. Some of the specific studies included US$2.5 million for research into fertility in transgender mice and US$1.1 million to study overdoses of a party drug in rats receiving testosterone therapy. These and other cancellations have enabled the Department of Government Efficiency to recover US$1.9 billion.
The Trump administration had threatened to withhold federal funding from Maine due to its support for transgender rights which would jeopardize US$250 million in K-12 education funding and impact a child nutrition program serving 172,000 children. However, the administration agreed to halt the funding freeze, marking a win for Maine. The nutrition program had significant funding at stake, including US$1.8 million in current funds, US$900,000 in prior year funds, and US$3 million for summer meal programs.
Legal challenges
ACLU and LGBTQ+ groups have filed a lawsuit against Trump’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors, and the ACLU and Lambda Legal are also challenging Trump’s executive orders, arguing that they are unlawful and unconstitutional, violate anti-discrimination laws, and infringe upon parental rights by withholding federally authorized funds.
A coalition led by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation is challenging Trump’s executive orders that target trans people and HIV funding. The organization, which expected to receive over US$641,000 in federal funds in this budget year, warned that the rollback could jeopardize lifesaving services, fueling anxiety across HIV service organizations nationwide.
Widespread concerns
A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 78% of LGBTQ+ adults in the US expect Trump’s policies to negatively impact upon transgender people, while 71% expect a negative impact on gay, lesbian, or bisexual individuals. The survey was conducted in January, around the time Trump issued executive orders related to transgender rights, including one that recognized only two sexes – male and female.
