
Today is Inauguration Day in the United States. As President Donald Trump takes office, transgender people and advocacy organizations are bracing for a wave of federal policies targeting LGBTQ+ rights. Trump has already pledged to “stop the transgender lunacy,” revealing plans to ban transgender people from military service, restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare, and rescind protections for transgender students—all on his first day in office.
Trump has also declared, “It will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.” This could affect federal documents like passports, Social Security gender markers, and REAL IDs. It’s also part of a broader push reflected in state-level anti-trans legislation that is set to go national.
“Gender-affirming care is mental health care. It’s lifesaving in some cases, especially for youth.”
Against this backdrop, transgender people and allies are mobilizing to resist potential federal crackdowns through advocacy, legal strategies, and community action. Preparation through solidarity and sustained efforts has never been more critical.
The Rise of Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation
In 2024 alone, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) tracked 533 anti-LGBTQ+ bills targeting issues like gender-affirming care and the use of preferred names and pronouns in schools. These legislative attacks significantly impact transgender youth, with a 2023 Trevor Project poll reporting that 86 percent experienced harm to their mental health from anti-LGBTQ+ debates about their rights and access to needed healthcare.
“Gender-affirming care is mental healthcare. It’s lifesaving in some cases, especially for youth,” activist Hannah Reynolds Martínez told NPQ.
Anti-transgender state laws have been linked to a significant increase in suicide attempts in the past year among transgender and nonbinary youth, with rates rising by up to 72 percent. Following Trump’s election, the Trevor Project reported a 700 percent increase in crisis service activity.
“The Trevor Project’s classic crisis services (lifeline, chat, text) are experiencing significantly high outreach from LGBTQ+ young people needing support in direct response to election results—an approximately 125% increase in crisis contact volume on election day through this morning compared to normal day,” a Trevor Project statement read. “We anticipate this number will be at least maintained, and potentially only increase.”
Steps Transgender People Are Taking to Prepare
“People are preparing in two ways, practically and mentally,” transgender activist Allison Chapman told NPQ.
One critical step involves updating identification documents, particularly passports, which are valid for 10 years and widely accepted as official identification. However, many transgender people face significant barriers in doing so. Conflicting state requirements, restrictive new laws, and administrative delays have made changing gender markers on IDs or birth certificates increasingly difficult.
“I’ve been rushing to get my name and gender marker changed on federal documents. It’s expensive, and I’ve had to borrow money from my parents in order to do it,” trans activist Julian Applebaum shared with NPQ.
Others face additional hurdles, such as Kieran Alexander, a transgender man living in Portland, OR, struggling to replace legal documents originally issued in Maryland that were lost or stolen.
“I’ve made a point of learning how to obtain hormones for DIY in case of a federal ban.”
While Alexander still has a REAL ID with his correct name and gender, which might make certain processes easier, he voiced concern for those with nonbinary “X” gender markers, which have become a growing target for anti-transgender lawmakers nationwide: “Overall, I’m very worried for my friends with X markers on their IDs because Trump says he’ll make genders other than male or female ‘illegal.’”
In addition to updating documents, some transgender people are relocating to states with “shield laws” that protect access to gender-affirming healthcare and are resisting anti-trans measures. A June 2023 poll by Data for Progress found that 8 percent of transgender adults have relocated due to hostile legislation. Organizations like the Trans Continental Pipeline reported a surge in relocation assistance requests following Trump’s election, particularly from states like Texas and Florida.
Transgender people are also preparing for potential disruptions to hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—or gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). Transgender activist and journalist Erin Reed has recommended that trans people consider reducing dosages or stockpiling medications. Many trans people are even learning how to manage HRT independently.
“I’ve made a point of learning how to obtain hormones for DIY in the case of a federal ban,” one transgender person, who asked to remain anonymous, told NPQ.
Amid these challenges, community support remains a vital lifeline. For some, this means turning to their chosen family, while others are reconnecting with local LGBTQ+ groups.
“Go to your community,” Reed told NPQ. “Organize with them, see what they need.”
“Major nonprofits are going to have to come to terms with the fact that Democrats are now also fair game for criticism.”
What Nonprofits and Advocacy Groups Are Doing
In response to the potential rollbacks of LGBTQ+ rights, nonprofit organizations are mobilizing to resist, focusing on federal and local advocacy efforts. Groups like the ACLU are preparing litigation to challenge actions that threaten transgender rights, particularly in areas such as access to gender-affirming healthcare and anti-discrimination protections.
“Litigation can be a powerful tool if implemented strategically,” Martínez said. “I think now more than ever, solidarity amongst nonprofits beyond performative activism like social media posts and racial justice statements are important. This might look like collaborating on projects, filing amicus briefs in court, supporting legislative efforts together, or other creative, tangible approaches to solidarity.”
Other organizations like the National LGBTQ Task Force are building relationships with lawmakers to advocate for stronger policies protecting trans people. However, the federal legislative landscape looks like it will be extremely hostile to trans rights, at least over the next two years.
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Activists are concerned that Democrats may lack the ability or willingness to counteract anti-trans sentiment at the federal level. Reed pointed out that “a number of Democrats are going to be okay explicitly with targeting transgender people.” Reed referenced the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes language barring children of military families from gender-affirming care, and passed the Senate last week with support from all but 10 Democrats. It is the first explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ law passed by Congress since the 1990s.
“It’s really easy to sort of play red–blue team dynamics and to protect Democrats [and] criticize Republicans whenever it’s Republicans…enacting anti-LGBTQ policies, [and when] Democrats are the ones that are standing in the way of those policies or blocking them,” Reed explained. “[But] major nonprofits [are]…going to have to come to terms with the fact that Democrats are now also fair game for criticism whenever it comes to these issues.”
While some organizations may fear that criticizing Democrats could jeopardize funding, activists contend that the risk of losing funding should not justify compromising on essential policies.
“I…see many organizations playing it ‘safe’ to avoid losing funding or support,” said Z Williams, Director of Client Support and Operations at Denver-based Bread and Roses Legal Center. “In reality, incrementalism and liberalism will not save us. We need to be brave and aggressive. I don’t know if there was ever a time to be meek, but it isn’t now.”
As for the hostile federal landscape, advocates are increasingly turning to state and local advocacy—the shield laws and other state-level civil rights legislation are other critical focuses.
“We need to be in contact with the strategies used by abortion funds and in Southern states.”
“Many of us are looking at legislation that protects things like healthcare, anti-discrimination rights, and identity,” Williams told NPQ. “At the very least, we want to create a foothold for litigation.”
Similarly, trans-friendly cities in anti-trans states are adopting “safe city” resolutions to push back against state-level discrimination, as Reed points out.
“I think about cities and what they can do to ensure that the people that live in their borders are protected. I think about Kansas City, MO, passing a safe city resolution where they’re protecting their LGBTQ population from state discrimination,” Reed said.
Meanwhile, local groups like Maryland-based FreeState Justice and Bread and Roses Legal Center are leading community efforts to safeguard trans people by assisting with legal document updates, ensuring access to gender-affirming healthcare, and fostering resilience through mutual aid networks.
Trans activists emphasize the importance of learning from local advocacy groups in other movements, such as reproductive rights and prison abolition, to strengthen efforts to protect trans people at the local level.
“We need to be in contact with the strategies used by abortion funds and in Southern states,” Reed said, referencing activists in Texas who have built systems to provide reproductive healthcare and resources despite legislative attacks.
“One of the things I have heard a lot since Trump got elected is to find your community, and I think that’s true for cross-movement advocacy as well,” Martínez said. “Oftentimes nonprofits become siloed into specific issues and stay silent on issues that ‘don’t affect them,’ when in reality, so many of the issues we focus on (racial justice, immigration rights, economic equality, LGBTQIA+ rights, gender equality, etc.) are so connected.”
Other social justice movements also illustrate how important it will be to not only react to anti-trans policies during the Trump administration but also engage in long-term strategic planning.
“We need to start working on a 5-to-10-year plan to fight back, not just reactively responding,” Chapman emphasized.
Balancing proactive and reactive legal responses will be essential over the next four years. In many cases, the reactive legal responses may be especially necessary given the Republican majority in all branches, especially at the federal level and in red states.
“In blue states, it may be possible to advance proactive legal efforts to offer increased protections for vulnerable LGBTQIA+ folks,” Martínez said. “But I think it is important to remember how many transgender and gender-nonconforming folks do live in red states and are already suffering under oppressive policies.”
The Enduring Fight for Equity and Justice
As federal crackdowns loom, preparation, solidarity, and resilience are key. Through local advocacy, intersectional coalition building, and long-term strategies, the LGBTQ+ community can counter escalating attacks and safeguard hard-won rights.
“This isn’t going to be a fight that resolves in the next year. It’s not going to be one that resolves in the next five years,” Reed emphasized. “And so, this work is going to be something that lasts for a long time, and I think that we have to make sure that the work is sustainable.”
However, with collective action and a shared purpose, trans activists are confident that the fight for equality and justice will endure.
“We have to look out for people, not just for people’s rights,” Reed said. “We also have to take care of each other. You know, community-wise, mental-health-wise.”