On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump commenced his second term as US President and has since taken aim at LGBTQ+ rights across the country. While we strive to always keep readers informed on the latest updates, we are also mindful that constantly receiving negative news can have a considerable impact on people’s mental health. We have therefore created this rolling feature containing all of the need-to-know information in one place – on our site and out of your feeds. While updates will be provided in a timely manner, please note that as a small journalistic team working regular business hours, there may be minor delays at some points.

CDC restores webpages but adds anti-trans disclaimer
Webpages from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that had been removed on January 31 in compliance with anti-LGBTQ+ Trump administration policies have now been reinstated following a court order.  

US District Judge John D. Bates, an appointee of President George W. Bush, instructed the administration to restore the pages to their original state as of January 30, 2025. However, rather than complying fully, the administration altered the pages to include the following disclaimer:

“Per a court order, HHS is required to restore this website as of 14 February 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Any information on this page promoting gender ideology is extremely inaccurate and disconnected from the immutable biological reality that there are two sexes, male and female. The Trump Administration rejects gender ideology and condemns the harms 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. This page does not reflect biological reality and therefore the Administration and this Department reject it.”

The disclaimer appears on multiple webpages, including those of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  

Here’s something we have never seen before: the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention @CDCgov rejecting its own science and public information on racial disparities in HIV/AIDS by sour-grape attaching a bitter-poison note of disavowal to the top of its web page in the… pic.twitter.com/K6JjAkQlp4

— Jason Socrates Bardi (@JasonBardi) February 18, 2025

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission drops anti-trans discrimination cases
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the US federal agency responsible for enforcing laws against workplace discrimination, has begun withdrawing cases it previously filed on behalf of transgender and non-binary individuals.  

EEOC Acting Chairperson Andrea Lucas stated that under her leadership, the commission’s priorities would include “defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights.”  

According to the agency’s website, the commission received over 3,000 complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in 2023, marking an increase of more than 36% from the previous year. However, a webpage detailing protections against such discrimination has since been removed.  

Lucas defended the shift, saying, “Biology is not bigotry.” Many of the companies targeted by past EEOC actions were accused of sexual assault and racism, with their alleged misconduct falling under the broader scope of discrimination, including homophobia and transphobia.

The Acting EEOC Chair & General Counsel are ignoring the duties of their offices by refusing to process workers’ gender identity discrimination claims & dropping lawsuits the EEOC had already filed against employers accused of discriminating against trans & nonbinary employees. pic.twitter.com/KixqGL9T3r

— Congressional Equality Caucus (@EqualityCaucus) February 15, 2025

References to trans people erased from Stonewall National Monument website
The US National Park Service (NPS) has removed the ‘T’ from the ‘LGBTQ+’ acronym and all references to transgender people from the official Stonewall National Monument website. The monument, located in Greenwich Village, is the first NPS site dedicated to acknowledging the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.

Additionally, the term ‘queer’ has also been eliminated from the website and “Q+” removed from the acronym, following the initial deletion of the ‘T’. The changes appear to align with the Trump administration’s stance of recognising only two genders–male and female as assigned at birth.

The move prompted protests in New York, with The Stonewall Inn and the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative stating: “Let us be clear: Stonewall is transgender history. Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and countless other trans and gender-nonconforming individuals fought bravely, and often at great personal risk, to push back against oppressive systems.”

Read more here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dana Goldberg (@dgcomedy)

Trump establishes Faith Office, citing alleged “anti-christian bias”
During the National Prayer Breakfast on February 6, President Donald Trump pledged to “bring our country back together as one nation under God” and end what he described as “all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government.”  

That afternoon, Trump signed an executive order containing anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, which he claimed was necessary to address an “egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians” under the Biden administration. The order repeated the false claim that the Biden administration had deliberately declared March 31, 2024—Easter Sunday—as Transgender Day of Visibility. In reality, the two observances simply coincided, as Easter is a moveable feast that can fall between March 22 and April 25.  

On February 7, Trump issued another executive order establishing a White House Faith Office to “assist faith-based entities, community organisations, and houses of worship in their efforts to strengthen American families, promote work and self-sufficiency, and protect religious liberty.” The office will be led by Rev. Paula White-Cain, a controversial televangelist who has previously been criticised for her claims to speak in tongues and encouragement to followers to donate to her church in order to receive help from God. A report released in 2011 by the United States Senate found that White-Cain had used $900,000 in tax-exempt donations to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a multimillion-dollar mansion and a private jet.  

“As the Bible says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’ And in that end, I hope my greatest legacy when it’s all finished, will be known as a peacemaker and a unifier.” —President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/ArXe38r1EY

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 8, 2025

Trans athletes banned from women’s sports
US President Donald Trump has signed a new anti-LGBTQ+ executive order banning trans athletes from participating in women’s sports. Titled ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’, the executive order signed by Trump mandates immediate enforcement to federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, to interpret Title IX rules as prohibiting trans women and girls from participating in sports in the female category. It also threatens to cut off federal funding for any school that allows trans women or girls to compete in female sporting competitions.

Before signing the order, Trump falsely claimed that trans athletes have won “more than 3,500 victories” and “invaded more than 11,000 competitions”. He then cited “a male boxer stole the women’s gold medal” at the Paris Olympics after supposedly “brutalizing his female opponent so viciously that she had to forfeit”, referencing boxer Imane Khelif, who is a cisgender woman.

To comply with Trump’s order, the board of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) voted to ban all transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports on February 7. Commenting on the decision, NCAA President Charlie Baker said, “President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard … (that) would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions.”

Trump also announced plans to ban trans athletes from around the world from competing in female sports categories at the 2028 Summer Olympics, which are set to take place in Los Angeles, by denying them visas.

Read more here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Amanda Davies (@amandadcnn)

US humanitarian aid and international development work halted
President Trump suspended billions of dollars in projects supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), claiming that the organisation is stealing taxpayers’ money. Elon Musk further announced that HIV/AIDS relief administered through the agency has been halted globally, with millions losing access to essential medicines.

The move sparked international outrage, with experts warning it could lead to a surge in infections and outbreaks in vulnerable regions.

LGBTQ+, HIV and healthcare equity activists have since called on the Irish government to take action against Trump’s freeze on foreign aid. Dozens of protestors gathered outside the Embassy of the United States of America on Tuesday, February 11, describing the recent cuts as “an absolute catastrophe”.

Read more here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by POZ VIBE PODCAST (@pozvibepod)

Access to trans healthcare restricted for under 19s
On Tuesday, January 28, Donald Trump signed an executive order that aims to remove access to gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth in the United States.

The order, called ‘Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation’, directs the Federal Health Employee Benefits Plan to stop coverage of gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and gender-affirming surgeries for those aged 19 and under. It also calls on the Department of Justice to investigate medications currently prescribed and to prosecute healthcare providers, citing laws that prohibit “female genital mutilation.”

Legal director of the National Centre for Lesbian Rights Shannon Minter said: “The order’s characterization of medical care for transgender minors bears no resemblance to reality. This is an attempt to impose an extreme ideological agenda through hyperbole and fear, not a responsible attempt to address this issue.”

The order has since been blocked nationwide by federal judge Brendan Hurson, who found that Trump doesn’t have the authority to impose such restrictions on medical providers.

Read more here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lambda Legal (@lambdalegal)

New executive order clears way for trans military ban
Donald Trump has signed an executive order clearing the way to reinstate a ban on trans service members in the military. The US President claimed the armed forces have been “afflicted with radical gender ideology to appease activists”, and mandated the Defense Department to update its requirements within 60 days.

The order states that transgender people don’t meet the “high standards” set for troops due to “medical, surgical, and mental health constraints”. It remains unclear if transgender soldiers currently serving will be ejected. As part of the 2017 restrictions, those who came out prior to the policy being introduced were exempt.

The prospective trans military ban has been criticised by several advocacy groups, with the Human Rights Campaign and Lambda Legal announcing their plans to sue the Trump administration.

Read more here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Human Rights Campaign (@humanrightscampaign)

Historic Equal Employment order is reversed and DEI programmes dismantled
Donald Trump commenced his second term by signing a series of executive orders, including one that revokes the Equal Employment Opportunity order signed by former President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. The historic order previously prohibited workplace discrimination based on race, colour, religion, national origin, and sex.

In addition to revoking the Equal Employment Opportunity order, Trump also dismantled diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes, which aim to promote opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other traditionally underrepresented groups. Trump’s order explicitly stated these policies “threaten the safety of American men, women, and children” by potentially undermining individual merit in job selection.

Read more here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by GCN (@gcnmag)

Almost 100 executive orders signed during Trump’s first day in office
On Monday, January 20, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. On his very first day back in office, Trump signed almost 100 executive orders, several of which targeted LGBTQ+ rights, especially those of trans and non-binary people. Trump also signed orders declaring illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border a “national emergency” and targeting US-born children of immigrants in the country who previously received automatic citizenship.

During his inauguration ceremony, Trump delivered a speech announcing the drastic policy changes and saying, “The golden age of America begins right now.” Speaking about the assassination attempt against him, he said: “I was saved by God to make America great again.” Afterwards, at a rally celebrating the inauguration taking place at the Capital One Arena in Washington, billionaire and Trump supporter Elon Musk sparked controversy for making a gesture that some have labelled a “Nazi salute”.

Read more here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by GCN (@gcnmag)

Donald Trump is elected
On November 6, 2024, Donald Trump was elected US president for the second time, beating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. The Associated Press confirmed the result on the Wednesday morning, as the Republican reached the 270-electoral college vote threshold by winning Wisconsin. Trump previously served as US president from 2016 until 2020, when he failed to gain re-election. Alongside Trump, JD Vance was elected as Vice President. The Ohio Senator has a strong anti-LGBTQ+ reputation and has promised to reverse years of progress made in the country.

Read more here.