Resources for Navigating Executive Orders Targeting LGBTQ+ Communities

Hello, North Carolina!

Kasey here from Equality NC. We know that recent Executive Orders from the federal government have been brutal for the LGBTQ+ community. 

Current Executive Orders Targeting the LGBTQ+ Community:

• Defending Women from Gender Ideology. Sets out a binary “biological sex” framework for all federal policy and work under this new administration, reversing pro-LGBTQ+ Biden-era policy. Shifts federal agency expectations for complying with and/or implementing this order’s definitions and framework.
• Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation. Threatens federal funding for institutions providing Gender Affirming Care, which we also anticipate to be part of potential federal budget discussions in Congress.
• Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness. Seeks to ban transgender individuals from service in the United States armed forces.
• Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-13 Schooling. Instructs several federal agencies to produce a plan within 90 days that will then potentially be used to threaten funding and/or investigate schools and teachers that do not comply with this administration’s agenda targeting DEI work and teaching, including supports around trans and gender-diverse students
• Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports. Threatens federal funding for any institutions that refuse to abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration’s view, which interprets “sex” as the gender someone was assigned at birth and allows trans-women to participate in women’s sports.

With so much uncertainty circling, we want to share some essential resources to help our community navigate this difficult time. We will update these resources as they emerge to give you access to the best possible resources. 

• Advice and Information on Gender Marker Changes from a Passport Adjudicator
• The Trans Lifeline to connect transgender folks to community support and resources.
• Advocates for Trans Equality Resources Page
• Advocates for Trans Equality Health Insurance Tutorial 
• Advocates for Trans Equality ‘Know Your Rights’ fact sheets.
• OutList LGBTQ+ Affirming Healthcare Directory
• GLAAD LGBTQ+ Resource List 
• Trevor Project Resource List
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention LGBTQ+ Crisis and Support Resources
• Current Advice for Name and Gender Change Documentation
• LA Trans Advocates “Know Your Rights Under Project 2025”
• Official Internal State Guidance on Gender Markers
• LGBTQ Equality by State Tracker
• Canada’s Advice on Travel and Sex/Gender Markers
• Lambda Legal Identity Document Checklist and FAQ’s

Please remember that Executive Orders are not laws! They may be issued quickly, but their implementation is almost always more complex. They can only be implemented within the executive branch, and unlike laws, executive actions can be reversed immediately after an administration leaves office. Executive orders are still constrained by current law and the constitution and can be challenged in court. ALL of these anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders are currently being challenged by various groups such as Lambda Legal and the ACLU. 

During this scary time, we at ENC want to remind you that you are not alone! Organizations like ours all over the country are rallying and will fight tooth and nail to defend your rights. We encourage you to stay rooted in our community, reach out to loved ones, and care for one another. We extend all our hope and love to you and the greater LGBTQ+ community. 

In Solidarity,

Kasey (they/them/theirs)