Before returning to the White House 100 days ago, Donald Trump was already the president with the most anti-LGBTQ actions to his name in United States history. His first administration was marred by: arguing and losing at the U.S. Supreme Court for the right to discriminate against LGBTQ employees; signing laws that undercut anti-discriminatory protections for LGBTQ contractors; deploying federal agencies to exclude and discriminate against transgender people seeking health care and housing, as well as baselessly banning transgender troops; and hundreds of other actions.
The first 100 days of his second administration have been bolstered by an agenda supplied by Project 2025, a plan for a rightwing takeover of the federal government led by the Heritage Foundation, that advocates for government policies reflecting a conservative Christian perspective, opposition to LGBTQ rights, restrictions on reproductive freedom, and the privileging of Christianity over other faiths.
“The start of this Administration has revealed an aggressively unAmerican agenda that has destabilized the economy, threatened personal freedoms, and attempted to censor accurate information and history,” said GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis.
GLAAD has documented at least 255 attacks against LGBTQ people in policy and rhetoric since Trump took office on January 20th, adding to the 224 overall during the last nine years.
Among his first official acts was to sign executive orders targeting transgender people, spreading harmful and inaccurate rhetoric that ignores the existence of intersex people and centuries of gender diverse people across world cultures.
President Trump also:
- nominated vocally anti-LGBTQ advisors to his cabinet and other key positions
- celebrated discriminating against transgender students
- eliminated protections for LGBTQ people in federal policy
- censored accurate LGBTQ history and resources from government sites, including removing “transgender” from the National Park’s Stonewall National Monument Site, flagging content by keyword searching “gay,” “trans,” and “transgender,” including a photo of the historic WWII plane the Enola Gay and an Army engineer with the last name of Gay, and attempted to eliminate two dozen words from external communications including “woman,” “disabled” and “elderly”
- attempted to defund HIV research
- arrested a gay asylum seeker without cause—among two hundred other unlawful and unconstitutional arrests and removals to a prison in El Salvador
- attempted deep cuts to programs supporting LGBTQ people domestically and abroad
- Trump’s address to Congress in March included 1,500 words targeting LGBTQ people (for a duration of eight minutes), and the remarks appeared near the top of his historically long speech, at the 15-minute mark. By contrast, Trump’s focus on jobs and affordability came in at 975 words. A mere nine seconds comprised the subject of jobs, specifically about forcing federal workers back to the office.
Despite losses in court blocking illegal attempts to hold funding for hospitals and providers, the Trump administration continues to spread inaccurate and inflammatory rhetoric about essential health care for transgender people, including adding a “disclaimer” to Health and Human Services websites. The administration was ordered to restore data and other accurate scientific information about HIV and about LGBTQ people to sites for the CDC, FDA and Health and Human Services. It continues to baselessly threaten to criminalize care providers who prescribe longstanding best practices care to trans youth and adults. Every major medical association supports health care for transgender people and youth: statements here.
Rule of Law Holding, For Now
Additional executive orders about LGBTQ people have been blocked in federal court as unconstitutional and overtly discriminatory. GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis says, “LGBTQ organizations, alongside allies, have worked through the courts to uphold the Constitution and protect the fundamental rights that every American values: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Thanks to the strong response from both the courts and the public, many of these attempts have been stopped. Moving forward, it’s essential that all Americans continue to remind our elected officials that their duty is to prioritize the health, safety, and success of every person they serve.”
U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the transgender military ban, holding that the ban undermines national security, is likely unconstitutional, and calling it “soaked with animus.” The Trump administration could offer no evidence to support its claims that being transgender conflicts with ability to serve, but is appealing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Meanwhile the Defense Department announced it will continue offering medical care for transgender service members.
In addition, the ACLU reports:
- Executive order to end birthright citizenship: BLOCKED
- Executive order to restrict access to gender-affirming health care for people under 19: BLOCKED
- Executive order to expand fast-track deportations without due process: SUED
- Executive order to shut down asylum at the border: SUED
- Executive order to restrict gender-affirming care in federal prisons: SUED
- Executive order to ban accurate passports for trans and intersex people: PARTIALLY BLOCKED– the judge ruling “The Executive Order and Passport Policy are based on irrational prejudice toward transgender Americans and therefore offend our Nation’s constitutional commitment to equal protection for all Americans.”
A threat to illegally withhold funding to schools that support diverse students was also blocked, with the judge noting the threat “is not warranted and plaintiffs’ rights are of profound import.”
ACLU also filed suit on behalf of students going to schools on military bases that saw books banned and removed recognition of cultural awareness dates including Pride month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month and Hispanic American Heritage Month, a violation of students’ First Amendment rights.
Additional research:
- LGBTQ and ally legal groups filed at least 22 and counting complaints against the Trump administration’s executive orders, some within hours of executive orders being signed
- Wisconsin voters sent a clear message to the administration and its biggest donor, Elon Musk, rejecting anti-trans campaign ads and texts, to elect Susan Crawford to the state Supreme Court.
- Out LGBTQ and ally lawmakers moved to protect basic liberties and rights as well as block harmful and illegal executive action. Arizona’s Attorney General Kris Mayes, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, and dozens of ally AGs have moved to stop the illegal attempt to ban essential health care for transgender people, end illegal and destructive actions from the so-called DOGE and protect taxpayer data and privacy, stop illegal impoundment of funds for health research and other Congressionally-appropriated funds for the arts and libraries.
- Every Democratic U.S. Senator voted to block a measure to advance a harmful sports ban for transgender people. All but two Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted against the House’s sports ban. Republican members of the Montana House joined a vote to reject a harmful measure targeting transgender people and their families.
- GLAAD has documented the LGBTQ records of Trump appointments to key positions, including Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), Pam Bondi (Attorney General), Pete Hegseth (Secretary of Defense), Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (Secretary of Health and Human Services), Doug Burgum (Secretary of the Interior), Sean P. Duffy (Secretary of Transportation), Linda McMahon (Secretary of Education), Douglas Collins (Secretary of Veterans Affairs), Kristi Noem (Secretary of Homeland Security), John Ratcliffe (CIA Director), Lee Zeldin (Environmental Protection Agency Administrator), Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence), Elise Stefanik (Ambassador to the United Nations), Mehmet Oz (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator), Russell Vought (OMB), Brooke Rollins (Secretary of Agriculture) Dean John Sauer (Solicitor General), Brendan Carr (FCC), Lori Chavez DeRemer (Secretary of Labor), Harmeet Dhillon (Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights), and Kari Lake (Voice of America Director).
Watching in the next 100 Days:
- Supreme Court decisions including in Skrmetti which could have broad implications for best-practice health care for transgender people
- Mahmoud v Taylor about excluding LGBTQ inclusive books and people in public education
- Braidwood about required coverage in the Affordable Care Act for HIV prevention medication and other preventive health care coverage currently mandated
- Pride celebrations including more first time Pride events in smaller towns across the U.S.
