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

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.

Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.

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.

Trending stories

Did 'The White Lotus' waste Lisa's acting debut?

Beyond Wonderland's accepting & unifying rave culture is needed more than ever

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

Discover the power of Wellness in your life

Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times

French Polynesia doesn’t need Pride flags to earn its place on every LGBTQ+ bucket list

'The White Lotus All-Stars': A dream cast for the gays

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

23 brutally funny 'Hands Off' protest signs that prove the resistance is alive & hilarious

Is Greg Hunt gay? Here's what 'White Lotus' actor Jon Gries thinks

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

15 lesbian coming-of-age movies that will hit you right in the feels

Tony award-winning 'Falsettos' writer William Finn dies at 73

Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources

Peaches Christ says she's been 'retraumatized' by police investigating drag icon Heklina's death

Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring

The Charles is Pacific Grove's new LGBTQ+ hotel

Matt Bomer reveals his favorite 'Fellow Travelers' sex scene with Jonathan Bailey

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes

Broadway bound: The best hotels in NYC’s Theater District for every type of traveler

Robert Irwin is stripping down & rocking tiny briefs in new underwear campaign

River Gallo wants more intersex stories — watch 'Ponyboi' trailer (exclusive)

Out and About with Karan Soni

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

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.

This story is developing...