How Trump’s Executive Orders Threaten LGBTQ+ Healthcare and Civil Rights
After years of progress toward inclusion and recognition of gender identity driven by the LGBTQ+ community, former President Donald Trump’s administration marked a sharp reversal. Starting from his return to power, Trump executive orders LGBTQ protections came under immediate threat. His October 2024 speech reflected this stance and served as the ideological basis for a series of measures that rolled back previously established safeguards. The result illustrates how Trump’s executive orders affect LGBTQ healthcare and civil rights, leading to a significant regression in equality and access to essential medical services.
“I will take historic action to defeat the toxic poison of gender ideology and reaffirm that God created two genders, male and female,” Trump said in a campaign speech in October 2024, according to NPR.
During the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, the LGBTQ+ community achieved major gains in legal recognition, social acceptance, and healthcare access. However, many of these protections were reversed during Donald Trump’s tenure, whose series of executive orders limited equitable access to medical care and weakened key policies designed to protect this population.
LGBTQ+ Achievements Under the Obama and Biden Administrations
During Barack Obama’s presidency, significant progress was made for the LGBTQ+ community, especially in healthcare. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and various federal guidelines expanded health insurance coverage and offered protections against discrimination in medical care. Additionally, the rights of same-sex couples were recognized in medical settings, promoting inclusion and legally protecting gender identity as a covered category.
The Biden administration continued this inclusive approach, reversing restrictive policies and strengthening LGBTQ+ rights. Key actions included lifting the ban on transgender military service, issuing executive orders against discrimination in housing, education, financial services, and employment, and supporting marriage equality at the federal level. Policies recognizing gender identity on official documents were also implemented. However, many of these measures were established through executive orders or administrative interpretations, leaving them vulnerable to being dismantled by administrations with opposing views.
This vulnerability became apparent during the Trump administration, which pursued a series of policies aimed at rolling back prior initiatives. Executive orders under Trump dismantled programs designed to address the healthcare needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other identities, causing significant setbacks in rights and raising alarms among advocacy organizations.
Gender Identity U.S. policies Implemented By The Trump Administration
The administration of Donald Trump pursued an agenda that redefined the federal government’s approach to gender identity and sexual orientation. These actions resulted in real policy shifts that rolled back basic rights, particularly in healthcare and anti-discrimination protections. Below are some of the most significant measures implemented during his tenure.
“Accordingly, my Administration will defend women's rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male,” states Executive Order 14168, formally titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. The order also mandates that “The Attorney General shall ensure that the Bureau of Prisons revises its policies concerning medical care to be consistent with this order, and shall ensure that no Federal funds are expended for any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate's appearance to that of the opposite sex.”
Under this framework, former President Trump revoked multiple directives and policies implemented by the Biden administration that aimed to guarantee equal access to healthcare. As part of these new provisions, federal agencies removed key informational materials related to LGBTQ+ health and stopped collecting data on transgender identity, making it harder to identify healthcare disparities and design effective responses.
Among the rescinded measures were executive orders such as 13988, which prohibited discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation; 14075, which promoted equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; and 14020, which established the White House Gender Policy Council.
Additionally, initiatives related to diversity, inclusion, and equity in educational and governmental institutions were eliminated. This has resulted in the loss of key legal protections for LGBTQ+ people regarding healthcare and civil rights, representing not only a political and social setback but also an explicit rejection of this community.
Only Two Genders? What the New Executive Order Means
On January 20, 2025, Executive Order 14168 was issued, establishing that federal government policy will recognize only two immutable sexes: male and female, based on sex assigned at birth or conception. This will be the sole officially accepted definition, rejecting the concept of “gender identity,” understood as an internal and personal experience of gender that may or may not correspond with biological sex.
The measure effectively denies the legal existence of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people in federal documents and policies. The State Department has begun issuing passports and other identification documents that only reflect sex assigned at birth, removing the “X” gender marker. The Social Security Administration has also stopped processing requests to update gender markers.
The order further prohibits the use of federal funds to promote what it defines as “gender ideology,” blocking any form of encouragement or teaching on this concept. This action by President Donald Trump overturns several Biden administration executive orders, including 13988, which aimed to prevent discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation; 14020, which established the White House Gender Policy Council (also disbanded); and 14075, focused on promoting equality for LGBTQ+ people.
For transgender and nonbinary individuals, these provisions mean a loss of legal and social recognition, limiting access to appropriate healthcare and increasing the risk of discrimination.
Trump Executive Orders: Blocking Access to LGBTQ+ Gender-Affirming Healthcare
“The Trump administration rejects gender ideology and condemns the harms it claims it causes to children—by promoting their chemical and surgical mutilation—and to women, by depriving them of their dignity, safety, well-being, and opportunities,” states Executive Order 14168, Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.
The Trump administration banned federal funds for gender-affirming medical care, particularly targeting individuals under 19. Hospitals or healthcare providers that perform surgeries or provide this type of care to minors risk losing federal funding for failing to comply with established standards.
Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the administration has sought to roll back protections against sex discrimination in healthcare, potentially allowing providers and insurers to deny services to LGBTQ+ individuals. Policies have also been implemented that restrict access to essential medical care for incarcerated transgender people, including hormone replacement therapy, in federal prisons and immigrant detention centers. Additionally, coverage for medically necessary care for transgender dependents of federal employees is prohibited.
On June 2025, also Pride Month, the Trump administration eliminated LGTBTQ+ services, one of which gave callers under age 25 the option to speak with LGBTQ-trained counselors, known as #988. The cancelation of the LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Lifeline too effect July 17, 2025. It has been a service provided since 2022. The service will still exist to youth under 25 however no longer silo LGBTQ+ youth with specialized services which counters reports that state LGBTQ+ youth are more than 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide than their non-LGBTQ+ peers.
The End of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policies Impacting LGBTQ+ and Everyone Systemically Marginalized
Trump ordered all executive departments and agencies to end all “federal preference,” calling for a return to “old civil rights laws” and to combat “illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, programs, and activities in the private sector, especially in hiring processes. The administration’s stated goal is to “restore merit-based opportunities.”
However, these initiatives limit access for populations with specific health needs to culturally competent services, including programs aimed at the LGBTQ+ community and HIV prevention. Additionally, the reinstatement of the transgender military service ban negatively impacts their mental health and restricts access to medical care provided by the military system.
Trump’s Push Against ‘Radical Indoctrination’ and Its Impact on LGBTQ+ Students
The Donald Trump administration has launched a strategic plan to eradicate what it calls “indoctrination” in primary and secondary schools. It has directed the Secretaries of Education, Defense, and Health and Human Services (HHS) to block the use of federal funds to promote “gender ideology” or “discriminatory equity ideology.”
The administration also approved a ban on school support for the social transition of minors and requires parental notification about such transitions, even without the student’s consent. This policy poses risks to the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
Furthermore, it has proposed restricting the participation of transgender and intersex women in public school and college sports. Funding has also been cut for curricula that include concepts of non-binary identities or sexual diversity, as well as for LGBTQ+ student support programs and teacher training in inclusive environments.
Additionally, discussion of LGBTQ+ topics in classrooms has been banned, limiting freedom of expression for students and staff from these communities and contributing to a climate of silence and exclusion.
Trump Executive Orders LGBTQ: What the Future Holds for the Community
Following decades of struggle, acceptance and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community were finally taking hold, the future is now an unclear path forward for LGBTQ+ rights. Every action implemented by the Trump administration has affected not just one life but many, as they rise to defend their rights and demand recognition.
Maya Wiley, chair of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said, “Dr. King had a dream, and this is his nightmare: the rollback of our civil and human rights coalition’s work over the past 75 years.”
The policies enacted by the Trump administration have caused widespread discontent in the LGBTQ+ community, generating uncertainty about their future. The community’s reaction to these measures, enacted or promised for his potential second term, has been one of rejection and outrage, calling these actions an unprecedented attack and a significant setback after decades of progress.
Kelley Robinson, president of Human Rights Campaign (HRC), one of the largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations in the U.S., responded to the executive orders issued in January 2025:
“These executive orders are a cruel and blatant attack on the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender Americans. We will fight tirelessly in the courts and in every corner of this nation to ensure these discriminatory policies do not stand.”
Organizations such as HRC and Human Rights Watch have condemned Trump’s measures as violations of international law and non-discrimination principles. Activists view them as a fundamental denial of LGBTQ+ identities and a return to pathologization. Many have described the agenda as a “crusade” or an “all-out assault” against the community.
Kevin Jennings, executive director of Lambda Legal, an organization dedicated to the legal defense of LGBTQ+ and HIV civil rights responded to Trump’s March 2025 remarks with the following statement:
“President Trump’s remarks were, frankly, pathetic and ignorant. His rhetoric attacked the identities and lives of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans and nonbinary people and youth, by falsely insinuating they don’t even exist. It is an affront to the very core of what this nation should stand for: respect, equality, and humanity. Lambda Legal is committed to fearlessly fighting back against these harmful and discriminatory policies, and we will continue to defeat them in the courts.”
The LGBTQ+ community in the United States fears a future marked by inequality and discrimination. The exclusion of non-binary identities from official documents, the ban on federal funding for gender-affirming healthcare, and the restrictions imposed in school environments directly affect these individuals’ lives, even in accessing essential services.
En español
Las recientes decisiones ejecutivas de Donald Trump han marcado un retroceso significativo para la comunidad LGBTQ+ en Estados Unidos. Tras años de avances logrados bajo las administraciones de Obama y Biden en inclusión, reconocimiento legal y acceso a la salud, las nuevas medidas han eliminado protecciones clave, restringido la atención médica de afirmación de género y limitado la libertad de expresión en entornos educativos. Entre ellas, la Orden Ejecutiva 14168 establece el reconocimiento exclusivo de dos sexos, dejando sin validez legal a personas trans, no binarias e intersexuales. Estas políticas han generado alarma entre organizaciones de derechos civiles, que las consideran un ataque directo