The Trump Administration’s Record On LGBTQIA+ Rights… So Far
President Donald Trump has implemented policies that rolled back LGBTQIA+ rights. During Trump’s first term (2017–2021), his administration removed several protections against discrimination for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Here are some key rollbacks:
1. Healthcare Discrimination
- The Trump administration reversed an Obama-era rule that protected LGBTQIA+ individuals from discrimination in healthcare under the Affordable Care Act.
- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) changed the definition of “sex discrimination” to only include biological sex, excluding protections for transgender people.
2. Workplace Protections
- The Justice Department argued in court that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act did not protect employees from being fired for their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- However, in 2020, the Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII does protect LGBTQIA+ employees from workplace discrimination, overriding the administration’s position.
3. Housing and Homeless Shelter Protections
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed a rule allowing federally funded homeless shelters to refuse services to transgender people based on religious beliefs.
- This meant shelters could house transgender women with men or deny them access altogether.
4. Education Protections
- The Department of Education withdrew Obama-era guidance that protected transgender students, particularly regarding bathroom access.
- The administration sided with schools that refused to accommodate transgender students.
5. Adoption and Foster Care Discrimination
- The administration allowed religious-based adoption and foster care agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples.
These rollbacks were widely criticised by LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups as increasing discrimination and marginalisation. Other rollbacks include…
First Term (2017–2021):
- Military Service: In 2017, Trump announced a ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military, reversing the previous administration’s policy that allowed them to serve openly. This decision faced legal challenges but was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in 2019.
- Education: The administration rescinded Obama-era guidance that protected transgender students’ rights to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity. This rollback allowed schools to set their own policies, potentially leading to discrimination against transgender students.
- Healthcare: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sought to define gender strictly based on biological sex at birth, aiming to exclude transgender individuals from nondiscrimination protections under federal civil rights law.
- Prison Policies: The Bureau of Prisons was directed to house transgender inmates according to their biological sex rather than their gender identity, increasing their vulnerability to violence and discrimination.
Second Term (2025–Present):
- Transgender Military Ban: In January 2025, Trump issued an executive order reinstating a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. This order was blocked by a federal judge, who ruled it likely violated constitutional rights. The administration criticized the ruling and is pursuing legal avenues to enforce the ban.
- Healthcare and Legal Recognition: The administration issued executive orders revoking protections for transgender and nonbinary individuals, including recognition of nonbinary identities and access to gender-affirming care. These actions have raised significant concerns among LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups.
These policy changes have sparked widespread criticism from civil rights organisations, which argue that they undermine the rights and protections of LGBTQIA+ individuals in various sectors, including the military, education, healthcare, and housing.
In compliance with an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content, the Pentagon initiated a comprehensive review of its online materials. This process involved using artificial intelligence to identify and flag content containing DEI-related keywords, leading to the removal of over 26,000 images and posts, with the total potentially reaching 100,000.
Notably, this automated process flagged content simply because their filenames included the word “gay,” affecting various historical records. For example, images of the World War II bomber “Enola Gay,” named after the pilot’s mother, were flagged and removed due to the inclusion of “gay” in the name. Similarly, photographs of service members with the last name “Gay” were also flagged for removal.
This approach led to the unintended deletion of significant historical references, including content about the Tuskegee Airmen and female fighter pilots. The Pentagon is now working to restore erroneously deleted content, acknowledging that many posts may be lost permanently.
These actions have sparked confusion, frustration, and emotional distress among military personnel and historians, who argue that the purge undermines the preservation of military history and the recognition of diverse contributions to the armed forces.
