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Donald Trump has begun eroding federal LGBTQ+ protections through executive orders

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U.S. Capitol

It was a carnival-like atmosphere as the new president began his overhaul of the U.S. government, with many executive orders targeting queer Americans.

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President Donald Trump’s return to the White House marked an immediate and sweeping rollback of Biden-era policies, targeting LGBTQ+ protections, environmental commitments, and federal workforce initiatives. The actions, signed throughout the day and capped by a theatrical ceremony at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena Monday evening where he signed nine orders, set a combative tone for Trump’s second term.

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Trump first signed a rescission of 78 executive orders and actions from the Biden administration. These included protections for LGBTQ+ Americans, diversity and equity programs, climate measures, and pandemic-related policies.

Among Trump’s most damaging measures was the rescission of former President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14075, which had advanced protections for LGBTQ+ Americans. The directive, signed in June 2022, had expanded access to gender-affirming care, banned conversion therapy, and ensured safe environments for LGBTQ+ youth in schools, foster care, and homeless shelters.

The order was a cornerstone of Biden’s agenda to combat systemic discrimination, requiring federal agencies to promote equitable access to gender-affirming healthcare, particularly for transgender youth who already face significant barriers to medically necessary care. By revoking this directive, Trump dismantled federal initiatives that supported millions of LGBTQ+ people, leaving them more vulnerable to discrimination in states hostile to transgender rights. The rollback also eliminated federal efforts to address conversion therapy, a widely discredited and harmful practice shown to increase depression and suicidal ideation among LGBTQ+ youth.

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Biden’s order had also strengthened safeguards for LGBTQ+ youth in schools, foster care, and homeless shelters. It directed federal agencies to address the overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care, protect them from discrimination and abuse, and provide guidance to reduce homelessness among this already at-risk population. Trump’s rescission strips away these vital federal resources and guidance, leaving some of the nation’s most vulnerable young people exposed to greater risks in environments that are often hostile or unsafe. Trump also revoked initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion across federal agencies. The administration dismissed these programs, which address systemic inequities faced by marginalized communities, as “radical” and “divisive.”

Trump also withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, reversing Biden’s recommitment to global climate action. The move, framed as a rejection of “climate extremism,” halts U.S. participation in international efforts to reduce emissions and combat the worsening climate crisis.

The decision undermines years of progress and signals a stark departure from global cooperation, leaving the U.S. isolated as other nations continue to tackle the climate emergency.

In a sharp pivot on workplace policy, Trump ordered all federal employees to return to in-person work, ending remote work flexibility implemented during the pandemic. He also imposed a hiring freeze across federal agencies and halted new federal regulations, part of a broader effort to reshape the federal workforce and governance.

Thousands of supporters gathered at the arena to celebrate Trump’s return. In a moment emblematic of his administration’s tone, Trump tossed commemorative pens into the crowd, drawing cheers from his audience as the policies were finalized. Trump said he would sign more executive orders from the Oval Office later in the evening.

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