Despite a federal judge’s order blocking the Trump administration from transferring some transgender women to men’s prisons, the Bureau of Prisons is continuing the practice, putting incarcerated trans women at serious risk, The Guardianreports.
According to civil rights attorneys, trans women not covered by ongoing litigation have been forcibly moved to men’s prisons in recent weeks. Some have had their gender markers changed in prison records before relocation. Others report being denied gender-affirming health care, subjected to pat-downs by male guards, and forced to surrender personal undergarments now considered contraband.
“I’m just continuing to be punished for existing,” Whitney, a 31-year-old trans woman recently transferred, told The Guardian before her move.
The transfers stem from Executive Order 14168, which Trump signed on his first day back in office. The sweeping directive states that the attorney general “shall ensure that males are not detained in women’s prisons or housed in women’s detention centers” and bars the use of federal funds for gender-affirming care in prisons. The order eliminates federal recognition of transgender and nonbinaryidentities and mandates that government agencies operate strictly based on one’s sex assigned at birth.
In February, Washington, D.C., U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth issued an injunction blocking the policy for 12 plaintiffs, ruling that their forced transfer likely violated the Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. However, The Guardian reports that trans women not included in the lawsuit remain vulnerable.
As The Advocate previously reported, Trump’s executive order is part of a broader effort to erase transgender people from federal policy. The order eliminates legal protections across government agencies, affecting passports, healthcare, housing, and workplace rights.
For trans prisoners, the consequences are particularly severe. The Prison Rape Elimination Act requires officials to assess inmates’ risk of sexual violence, but advocates say Trump’s order disregards these protections.
“This is incredibly unnecessary and cruel,” attorney Kara Janssen, who represents trans women in litigation, told The Guardian.
LGBTQ+ youth are experiencing bullying, discrimination, physical violence, conversion therapy, and suicidality in all 50 states, according to The Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People — though there are some regions that are worse for their well-being.
LGBTQ+ youth who live in the South were most likely to report wanting but being unable to access to mental health care, the highest rates being 63 percent in South Carolina and 60 percent in Texas. The South also had some of the highest rates of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, including 65 percent in Alabama and 66 percent in Arkansas, and some of the lowest levels of community acceptance, including 21 percent in Mississippi and 33 percent in Tennessee.
LGBTQ+ young people living in states across the Midwest reported the highest rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, including 43 percent in Ohiowho experienced suicidal thoughts, and 45 percent in Nebraska. LGBTQ+ youth in the Midwest also reported some of the highest rates of physical threat or harm based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the highest being 24 percent in Wisconsin and 28 percent in Kansas.
“Similar to previous research, these data reinforce that LGBTQ+ youth are not disproportionately impacted by suicide because of who they are, but rather, because of how they are mistreated, stigmatized, and discriminated against,” said Jaymes Black CEO of The Trevor Project. “This is an incredibly difficult time for many LGBTQ+ young people – and these findings give us critical insight into the unique challenges they face in every state. We hope lawmakers, advocates, youth-serving professionals, and allies in every corner of the country use this research to better understand and support the young people in their communities.”
In comparison, LGBTQ+ youth in the Northeast reported significantly higher levels of community acceptance, including 90 percent in Massachusetts and 81 percent in Maine. They also had relatively lower rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts, with 26 percent in Connecticut experiencing suicidal thought and 36 percent in New Hampshire.
LGBTQ+ youth in the West had some of the highest rates of affirming home environments, including 54 percent in Montana and Oregon. However, they also reported some of the highest levels of depression, with 52 percent of LGBTQ+ youth in California experiencing symptoms of depression in the past year.
“Many of these state findings are grim, and they signal serious gaps in resources and outsized mental health challenges for already marginalized youth that we simply must address,” said Ronita Nath, Vice President of Research at The Trevor Project. “However, these data also give us a clear call to action: we must all do our part to make LGBTQ+ young people feel more welcome and accepted in the places they call home.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.
Germany has issued a warning that transgender and nonbinary travelers may face difficulties entering the United States under the Trump administration’s new policies. The warning, first reported by the German newspaper Rheinische Poston February 26, advises travelers to check with U.S. authorities before making their trip as the federal government moves to erase legal recognition of transgender people and restrict their ability to update official documents.
A German official confirmed to The Advocate that “transgender and nonbinary individuals traveling from Germany to the United States should contact the responsible U.S. authorities prior to travel to the U.S. to inquire about current entry regulations.” The advisory follows an executive order from President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration on January 20, mandating that all government-issued documents, including passports, reflect only an individual’s sex assigned at birth. The state department policy instructs consular officers to flag applications where there is “reasonable suspicion” that an applicant is trans, a move critics say amounts to a ban on transgender visa holders.
The State Department, in response to The Advocate’s inquiry, defended the changes, stating that “each visa applicant is required to establish his or her credibility, identity, and purpose of travel to the satisfaction of the consular officer.” A State Department spokesperson added that consular officers “have the authority to request any information or documents necessary to establish the applicant’s identity and qualifications for the visa.”
“This includes any time there is a discrepancy in the identity documents that an applicant provides,” the spokesperson continued. “To verify an applicant’s sex at birth, the consular officer may consider documents provided by the applicant, including his or her passport or birth certificate and any others as needed.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that the State Department is no longer issuing passports with an X gender marker, following Trump’s executive order.
“We are only issuing U.S. passports with a male or female sex marker that matches the applicant’s biological sex as defined in the Executive Order,” the spokesperson said. “U.S. passports previously issued with an X marker will remain valid for travel until their expiration date.”
However, the department is allowing individuals with an X marker to apply for a replacement passport reflecting their sex assigned at birth free of charge if their X passport was issued less than one year ago. The updated policy is outlined on the State Department’s website.
Germany’s warning underscores the growing international consequences of Trump’s anti-transgender policies. While the U.S. is restricting legal gender recognition, the German official noted that the European country is moving in the opposite direction. On November 1, the country’s Self-Determination Act went into effect, making it easier than ever for transgender and nonbinary individuals to update their legal documents.
“The self-determination law makes changing your first name and gender marker easier than it has been in the past,” the German official told The Advocate. “Transgender and nonbinary persons can now change their first name and their gender marker through a notarized declaration. Through this process, they can obtain new birth certificates and ID documents reflecting their gender identity.”
German citizens — whether in Germany or abroad — can now submit their declarations at local registry offices, consulates, or embassies instead of going through a court process, according to the German Embassy. The German government strongly encourages individuals to obtain a certificate confirming their gender marker change before applying for an updated passport.
For U.S. citizens traveling to Germany, entry requirements remain unchanged. The German official said, “U.S. citizens traveling to Germany need to be in possession of a valid passport and need to have sufficient financial means for the duration of their stay, among other requirements.” The official added that “U.S. citizens traveling to Germany do not need a visa for stays under 90 days in a 180-day period. Even for long-term stays in Germany, a residence permit can be obtained directly in Germany without a visa prior to travel.”
Germany’s warning follows Trump’s sweeping executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” The order eliminates federal recognition of transgender people, mandates that all government documents reflect sex assigned at birth, rescinds protections for trans individuals in federally funded institutions, and strips funding for gender-affirming health care.
Rubio’s State Department memo builds on Trump’s executive order by granting consular officers broad discretion to deny visas to transgender travelers. Immigration experts warn that this could shut out transgender people from the U.S. entirely, including those seeking asylum or attending international LGBTQ+ events like WorldPride in Washington, D.C., from May 17 until June 8.
Reports have already surfaced of transgender Americans facing delays in passport renewals, with some receiving passports with incorrect gender markers despite previous updates. There is growing concern that these policies could trap transgender Americans inside the country while blocking transgender foreigners from entering.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to The Advocate’srequest for comment.
Amazon is set to answer explosive claims of severe harassment and discrimination after a judge ruled that an amended lawsuit from a transgenderformer employee could proceed. The case, brought by Ximena Navarrete, a Mexicantransgender woman, alleges that she endured relentless abuse while working as a Prime Now shopper in Whole Foods stores across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Navarrete’s lawsuit, originally filed in 2022, accuses Amazon of allowing an unchecked workplace culture of transphobia, racism, and sexual harassment. The amended complaint, which the court recently accepted in part, refines the legal claims and expands on the alleged violations, citing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and the D.C. Human Rights Act.
Navarrete initially represented herself in the legal proceedings, but after securing attorneys from Alan Lescht and Associates, the complaint was significantly restructured. “Ximena filed her original complaint pro se. She had some legal help, but she was largely doing this without representation,” her attorney, Ari Wilkenfeld, told The Advocate in an interview. “Her original complaint had some fairly significant flaws that had legal effect. What we did was ask the court for permission to amend the complaint to assert all the laws that we believe have been violated.”
The updated complaint details a harrowing workplace environment where Navarrete was allegedly subjected to daily death threats, physical and sexual assault, and repeated refusals to acknowledge her gender identity. Supervisors and coworkers allegedly called her by her former name, physically dragged her from stores, and engaged in persistent verbal abuse. The lawsuit claims Amazon managers ignored her repeated pleas for help and ultimately fired her after she reported the discrimination.
Despite Amazon’s objections, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that several of Navarrete’s claims could proceed, including allegations of a hostile work environment and retaliatory termination. The ruling also means Amazon must now formally respond to the allegations, marking a significant step forward in the case, Wilkenfeld said.
He also said that the case underscores a broader issue of workplace discrimination against transgender people, particularly in blue-collar and retail environments. “This kind of discrimination is particularly obscene,” Wilkenfeld said. “People feel empowered to discriminate against trans people in ways they wouldn’t dream of doing to a racial minority or any other kind of minority. They feel empowered to do whatever strikes them as appropriate.”
Since leaving Amazon, Navarrete has continued to struggle with workplace discrimination, her attorneys say, including a harrowing attack by a former employer who allegedly threw acid in her face after learning she was transgender.
While the case still has a long road ahead, her legal team sees it as an opportunity to send a message to other transgender people in distress. “We want to litigate these cases,” Wilkenfeld said. “The laws are here to protect you.”
Amazon has not yet publicly responded to the amended complaint. The Advocate contacted an attorney representing Amazon but did not immediately hear back.
A federal judge in Maryland has issued a preliminary injunction against Donald Trump’s executive order threatening loss of federal funding for medical professionals and institutions that provide gender-affirming care to trans people under 19. That means the policy cannot be enforced while the lawsuit against it proceeds.
This and Trump’s executive order denying recognition of transgender identity “threaten to disrupt treatment of patients, stall critical research, and gut numerous programs in medical institutions that rely on federal funding,” U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson wrote in his ruling, released Tuesday. “Accordingly, the Plaintiffs have shown that they are likely to succeed on the merits, that they would suffer irreparable harms absent an injunction, and that the balance of equities and the public interest tip in their favor.”
Hurson had already issued a temporary restraining order blocking the policy, and it was set to expire Wednesday. The preliminary injunction extends the block for as long as it takes to hear the lawsuit.
Two transgender young adults, five trans adolescents and their families, and two organizations — PFLAG National and GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality — filed the suit February 4 challenging the health care order and the gender identity order. The Trump administration directed federal agencies to withhold funds from health care providers and institutions that offer gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapies, to anyone under 19 for the purpose of gender transition. The treatments are allowed for nontrans people who have early-onset puberty, disorders of sexual development, or other conditions.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland. It names Trump as a defendant, along with the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal officials and agencies. The plaintiffs are represented by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Maryland, and the law firms of Hogan Lovells and Jenner & Block.
The restrictions placed on funding by the executive orders are likely to be found unconstitutional, Hurson wrote, as the president is trying to withdraw funding that has been approved by Congress, therefore violating the separation of powers between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal government. The orders also will probably be found in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process of law, he noted.
People whose care would be disrupted by the health care order stood to suffer irreparable harm, he continued, as would institutions. The order has been interpreted to ban all federal funding to institutions that provide gender-affirming care to trans youth and young adults, whether or not that funding is related to this specific care, and therefore much funding for hospitals and other organizations was in jeopardy, according to Hurson. Some have already stopped providing the care.
“The court’s decision stopping implementation of these perverse and discriminatory executive orders targeting gender-affirming medical care removes a pall of confusion that affected medical institutions across the country and that threatened transgender young people, their families, and the medical professionals who care for them,” Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, senior counsel and health care strategist at Lambda Legal, said in a press release. “With this decision, doctors and hospitals across the country can continue to provide evidence-based, essential, and often lifesaving gender-affirming medical care to transgender people under 19 without fear of retribution.”
“Today’s decision provides relief to transgender young people, their families, and their medical providers who have been thrown into chaos by this administration,” added Joshua Block, senior staff attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. “This order from President Trump is a direct effort to threaten the well-being of transgender people while denying them equal protection under the law, enacted by coercing doctors to follow Trump’s own ideology rather than their best medical judgment. As Judge Hurson has said himself, it is hard to fathom a form of discrimination more nefarious than that which pretends the group of people being targeted doesn’t even exist.”
“Again, the court has ruled to ensure hospitals, doctors, and healthcare professionals in our communities can continue the work to keep our families healthy,” Brian K. Bond, chief executive officer of PFLAG National, said in the release. “Transgender people and their supportive parents and families are good and decent people who deserve the freedom to be themselves and to thrive. PFLAG National and our vast network of chapters, members, and supporters will continue to ensure that love leads in this fight for justice for transgender people.”
“Today’s ruling is a crucial step in resisting the extremist agenda of the Trump administration and reaffirming that trans and nonbinary people deserve dignity, respect, and access to the health care they need,” said Alex Sheldon, executive director of GLMA. “This administration has tried to bully providers into abandoning their ethical obligations, but we will not back down. We will continue to fight for health professionals’ freedom to do their jobs based on medical expertise — not political ideology — and for the right of every patient to receive carefree from discrimination and fear.”
The anti-trans health care order has also been blocked in a separate lawsuit in a federal court in Washington State. The suit was filed by the Democraticattorneys general of Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota, along with three doctors who argued that the order violated constitutional protections and overstepped presidential authority. Judge Lauren King issued a temporary restraining order in mid-February and a preliminary injunction last Friday.
As anti-LGBTQ+ laws take a toll on mental health, the queer community’s response could take a toll on local and state economies.
In the face of over 1,000 anti-LGBTQ+ laws proposed by state legislatures across the U.S. in the past two years, and 126 passed into law, 44.3 percent of LGBTQ+ adults and 63.5 percent of transgender adults now report that the legislation has harmed their or their loved ones’ mental health, according to the Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Climate Survey. Over 12 percent of LGBTQ+ adults experienced increased harassment, violence, and/or discrimination in the past year, as well as 22.9 percent of trans adults.
Many of the laws explicitly target transgender people through bans on gender-affirming care, sports participation, and bathroom usage. More than 41.1 percent of trans people reported that they and/or someone close to them lost access to gender-affirming care in the last year, and over 28.4 percent reported that they or someone close to them were prevented from accessing restrooms and/or locker rooms, or playing sports.
Shoshana Goldberg, Public Education & Research Program Director at the HRC, tells The Advocate that “when lawmakers pass gender-affirming care bans, they supersede the autonomy and rights of patients, families, and their physicians — often at a significant cost to transgender patients.”
“Research has consistently found that transgender and nonbinary people who are able to access desired gender-affirming care have better mental health outcomes … Those who are unable to access desired care, however, face increased mental distress and suicidality,” she says, adding, “There is also the harm that can result simply from the passage of these bills, through the transphobic rhetoric that arises in discussions of these bills, and the messages they send about the ‘validity’ of transgender people.”
Such laws are short-sighted, Goldberg says, as even if lawmakers do not care about how they affect well-being, they are also likely to impact the economy in the years to come. Half (49.5 percent) of LGBTQ+ adults reported that anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has impacted their choices of where to live and/or work in the last year, including 56.7 percent of trans adults, 43.9 percent of cis LGBQ+ men, and 50.2 percent of cis LGBQ+ women.
Nearly 19 percent of LGBTQ+ adults are currently considering moving to a new state, and 4 percent have already moved to a new state or taken concrete steps to do so.
“The LGBTQ+ Community holds $1.4 trillion in purchasing power, and unsupportive companies stand to lose us as customers — as well as lose allies, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, who data shows are looking to spend their money on those companies that support their values of equality,” Goldberg explains.
Those numbers are likely to increase, as “in addition to losing customers, companies that abandon DEI practices are at risk of being unable to recruit and retain top talent,” Goldberg says. One in 20 (5 percent) of LGBTQ+ adults are trying to change their job because of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, including over one in 10 (11.1 percent) trans adults. 2.8 percent of LGBTQ+ adults and 5.4 percent of trans adults have already changed their jobs.
“I think states stand to lose economically by continuing to support these laws. They risk losing the tourism and business travel dollars, such as those from the 30 percent of LGBTQ+ adults, in the last year alone, who have avoided, canceled, and/or refused to travel to states with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation,” she says. “They risk losing the taxable income from LGBTQ+ adults, and families of LGBTQ+ youth, who are looking to move to a new state where they and their children can live openly and freely … and companies headquartered in these states risk losing customers.”
While Goldberg’s advice to companies and legislators is to seriously consider the harm their policies do, her advice to LGBTQ+ people is to “find your joy, to fiercely protect it, and to not let this administration or these laws take it away.”
“These attacks are scary and horrible, yes, but our community has been through many of these attacks before, be it the Lavender Scare of the 1950s, the moralizing crusades of Anita Bryant in the1970s, or the AIDS crisis of the 1980s,” Goldberg says. “And each time we got through it, and only emerged stronger. We have always existed, we will always exist, and no law or administration can take that away.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.
Indiana State University is being sued for First Amendment violations by an LGBTQ+ group that claims the school is refusing to let them hold a Pride festival on campus.
The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana on behalf of The Pride Center of Terre Haute, claims that ISU officials have prohibited the group from hosting a 2025 Pride celebration on the university’s Quad, an outdoor student area explicitly designated for “expressive activity,” despite allowing and sponsoring the event in 2023 and 2024.
The Pride Center, an LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit dedicated to creating a positive impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals in Vigo County, accuses the university of securing an agreement with the city of Terre Haute to hold this year’s festival at an off-campus city park without the group’s knowledge or consent. It maintains that holding the celebration off-campus would defeat the purpose of the event, which is to show that the campus is welcoming to LGBTQ+ students, staff, and visitors.
The Pride Center claims that this is “part of a recent pattern of ISU preventing or discouraging actions and events that are intended to support the LGBTQ+ community,” according to the lawsuit, and that the “actions of ISU in not allowing Pride Fest 2025 to occur on campus violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
“ISU’s failure to provide Pride Fest an on-campus location is directly related to the message of inclusivity, equality, and support conveyed by all Pride festivals,” ACLU of Indiana Legal Director Ken Falk said in a statement. “It is clear that the university is censoring Pride Fest because of its support of the LGBTQ+ community. The Pride Center has a First Amendment right to hold their festival in the Indiana State University Quad – a space explicitly designated as a place for free expression.”
A disabled college student is speaking out after conservative figures online bullied and mass reported him when he posted about his gender transition.
Micah Leroy, who ran the account known as “Disabled Trans Boy” on Instagram, became the subject of a right-wing hate campaign after he posted a video celebrating his double mastectomy, also know as top surgery. The 19-year-old has cerebral palsy, a group of neurological disorders that affect body movement and muscle coordination, which is the most common lifelong physical disability according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
“It is important to note that nowhere in this definition does it imply that cerebral palsy negatively impacts an individual’s ability to comprehend the world, make autonomous decisions or understand the concepts of gender and sex,” Leroy told MPR News.
Leroy is a student at the University of Minnesota focusing on disability studies, LGBTQ+ studies and political science. He said that he hopes to one day hold public office, whether in the state legislature or in Congress.
Leroy uses a wheelchair as well as an Eyegaze communication device, though he prefers to communicate with his voice, with the help of his personal care assistants. Leroy, who came out as transgender at the age of 14, emphasized to the outlet that he was the one who sought out and scheduled his medical appointments and took all the steps to legally change his name and gender.
Leroy’s video about his transition went viral, resulting in negative attention from conservative figures such as failed college athlete Riley Gaines, who lied and said Leroy is “non-verbal” while implying doctors performed the surgery without his consent. Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called the life-saving procedure performed on a legal adult “criminal.”
Conservatives mass-reported the video, causing it to be removed by Meta, which suspended Leroy’s Facebook and permanently removed his Instagram account for supposedly breaking the platforms’ “Community Standards on child sexual exploitation, abuse and nudity.”
Leroy, who repeated that “I am the one who is posting and I’m over 18,” said that Meta still rejected his appeals, while allowing the abusive comments and messages he received to remain. Still, he said that he hasn’t been deterred from speaking out.
“Even with all the hate this has stirred up, I do believe that any publicity is good publicity in furthering my goals,” Leroy continued. “This experience has only made me want to speak out more about disabled and trans issues as the negative responses I got have shown a side of the world that is intolerant and discriminatory based on what they perceive others can and cannot do.”
The popular vote might not have worked, but you can always vote with your dollar and/or time.
A second term under Donald Trump endangers the well-being of LGBTQ+ people, women, immigrants, people of color, and everyone else. It will also most likely lead to more censorship and rolling back protections against climate change. But the activists and organizations advocating for these causes aren’t going quietly — they’re getting louder. Many have resisted during Trump’s first term, and are ready to do so again.
The fight does not end with donations, but it’s still a great way for those with the means to make their priorities known and impact change. For those who aren’t able to give, consider using your time and other skills in your community instead.
For those who are able to give, here are 26 groups whose work is going to be critical during a second Trump administration that you can donate to. If you can’t contribute money, many also list other ways to contribute.
Elevated Access
Nonprofit Elevated Access is dedicated to helping patients receive reproductive health care, offering flights at no cost to those who must travel for abortions and gender-affirming care.
This national progressive advocacy organization focuses on preserving the rights of the marginalized in court, fighting against book bans and to preserve democracy and voting rights.
The Transgender Law Center fights to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.
As the biggest LGBTQ+ group in the U.S., HRC lobbies for queer rights and candidates, fighting to “ensure that all LGBTQ+ people, and particularly those of us who are trans, people of color and HIV+, are treated as full and equal citizens.”
PEN America works to ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others.
Planned Parenthood is nonprofit organization that provides reproductive and sexual healthcare and sexual education, including abortions and birth control.
American Civil Liberties Union (and Drag Defense Fund)
The ACLU is a nonprofit that assists in legal cases where civil rights are involved, including abortion care, trans people’s right to live freely, and people’s right to vote. It also hosts the Drag Defense Fund, which legally defends drag performers’ freedom of speech and self-expression.
Midwest Access Coalition (MAC) is a practical abortion fund that helps people traveling to, from, and within the Midwest to access a safe and legal abortion.
The SPLC is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights, fighting to strengthen democracy, counter white supremacy, end mass incarceration, and eradicate racial inequality in the American South.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People remains the longest-serving organization dedicated to fighting for civil rights of people of color.
The Sherlock’s Homes Foundation provides housing, employment opportunities, and a loving support system, for homeless LGBTQ+ young adults so that they can live fearlessly as their authentic selves.
CAIR has worked for decade both to educate the public on mainstream Islamic faith and prevent legal obstructions to their rights, such as the many policies proposed and enacted by Trump’s first administration.
Sylvia Rivera Law Project seeks to guarantee people’s freedom to self-determine and express their gender identity, fighting for both financial and legal empowerment for everybody across the spectrum of gender.
Americans for Immigrant Justice
Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice) is a nonprofit law firm that fights for justice for immigrants through a combination of direct representation, impact litigation, advocacy, and outreach.
Know Your IX was named for its mission to educate college students about their Title IX rights. The group also gives voice to survivors of sexual assault and offers channels for reporting sexual harassment.
A project of the American Immigration Council, this organization will be lobbying against deportation policy both from the White House and the halls of Congress.
Emily’s List is an organization that trains Democratic women (who are pro-choice) in the basics of running for office, from school board to senator. The group had a hand in getting Kamala Harris, Tammy Duckworth, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Maggie Hassan elected.
This group fights for the rights of scientists to conduct, publish, and discuss their research and advocate for science without the threat of political harassment, censorship, or legal intimidation.
Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is an organization focused on protecting the children of immigrants, fighting against deportation and family separation.
ORAM provides legal assistance, advances economic inclusion through livelihood programs, champions the rights of LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees on the global stage and provides critical emergency response to underserved communities.
ProPublica uses a nonprofit model to produce and disseminate investigative reporting, and has continuously fact-checked the Trump Administration to dispel the misinformation surrounding his campaign.
The global organization works to “fight abuses of human rights, bring torturers to justice, change oppressive laws, and free people jailed just for voicing their opinion.”
The hubs and duds of queer life in modern America have been revealed, thanks to a report from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The good news: wherever you are, you’re not alone. Overall, 14.1 million people reported that they “identify as LGBT” between 2020 and 2021, making up a significant portion of the population at 5.6 percent. By state, there wasn’t a single area with an LGBTQ+ population of less than 4 percent.
However, compared to others, some states still have less than half as many queer people proportionally.
While the report did not give any reasoning as to why some states have larger LGBTQ+ demographics than others, the states with the lowest percentages of queer people all but one have pushed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation this year.
Here are the states with the smallest queer communities, and the legislation facing them.
5. South Carolina (Tie)
South Carolina’s 192,800 LGBTQ+ adults account for 4.9 percent of the state’s population. There were 32 anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed this year, according to the ACLU’s legislation tracker, with one passed into law — an extreme ban against gender-affirming care for youth, as well as requiring school staff forcibly out them to their guardians.
5. North Dakota (Tie)
North Dakota’s LGBTQ+ population also accounts or 4.9 percent of its overall population, but their queer community is fewer in number, with 28,400 members. There were no anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed this year in the state, which pushed 17 anti-LGBTQ+ bills last year, 10 of which became law.
4. Iowa
Iowa‘s 113,600 LGBTQ+ adults account for 4.7 percent of the population. 37 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been considered in the state in 2024, four of which passed — including religious exemptions for discrimination.
3. Alabama
Alabama has 173,000 LGBTQ+ people, making up 4.6 percent of the population. Four anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed in the state this year one of which passed that forces universities to implement trans bathroom bans.
2. North Carolina
North Carolina‘s LGBTQ+ population accounts for 4.4 percent of the state’s population, with 353,100 people. There were six anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed in the state, none of which have yet been defeated or advanced.
1. Mississippi (Tie)
Mississippi’s 93,300 LGBTQ+ adults account for 4.1 percent of the population. There were 23 anti-LGBTQ+ bills been proposed in the state this year, four of which passed. The laws include a ban against trans people using the public facilities that align with their identities, and a legal redefinition of gender that incorrectly conflates it to biological sex.
1. West Virginia (Tie)
West Virginia’s LGBTQ+ community also accounts for 4.1 percent of the population, but their 60,000 queer adults are less in number than Mississippi. West Virginia has considered 33 anti-LGBTQ+ bills this year, one of which passed — enacting barriers to accurate legal identification.
Takeaways
The states with the fewest queer people are also some of the states proposing the most anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
While there is no data (yet) around mass queer exoduses from these states, some could be moving to avoid legislation. Others may not feel comfortable coming out for census data.
And while it may not seem as if the South is a popular place for LGBTQ+ people, by raw population, the region actually has the largest percentage of queer adults. The 5.2 million LGBTQ+ people in southern states account for 36.9 percent of the queer people in the U.S.
While we may not be the majority, LGBTQ+ people across the country have an enormous and undeniable presence wherever they call home.
