Law in Flux

There has been an influx of anti-LGBTQ political and legal action in recent years. Many states have passed, or attempted to pass, legislation that restricts the rights of trans people, including by banning gender-affirming care or prohibiting trans athletes from competing in sports.

Since President Trump took office in 2025, the Trump Administration has aggressively pursued anti-trans policies at the federal level as well. If successful, these policies could limit trans rights across the United States.

Where you can find up-to-date information:

See lawsuits the Gender Justice League is tracking.
See How GLAD Law is Fighting Back.
For a list of federal actions that affect LGBTQ people, see GLAAD's Trump Accountability Tracker.

What It Means for You

First, know that people are fighting for you. LGBTQ organizations have filed lawsuits challenging the Trump Administration's attempts to curb trans peoples' rights. But these lawsuits could take years to resolve.

While these lawsuits are pending, you may face pushback or uncertainty when you try to exercise your rights. That's because some people—like doctors or teachers—may have to follow state and federal policies, even if they think those policies might be illegal, until a court says otherwise. And sadly, some people may simply feel newly empowered to discriminate against you or to try to stop you from exercising your rights.

If you face pushback when exercising your rights, remember: You matter. Your rights matter. Those rights have been hard-won, and others should not take them from you. But you are the one in the best position to know when it is worth it for you to challenge pushback and insist that others respect your rights. This is a community effort; you can fight, but you also do not have to fight every battle.

In the meantime, states still have a lot of power to protect your rights, particularly in areas traditionally regulated by states, like identification documents and, typically, school and medical care policies. Many local governments have recently reaffirmed a commitment to transgender rights. You can check whether your state or local government has issued guidance, or check GLAD's Rights Guide by State.

Understanding Your Rights

This handbook often refers to your rights. But what, exactly, is a “right”? You can think of it as a power to do something or as a protection against others doing something to you. Rights come from different places and limit other people in different ways.

Constitutional rights. The U.S. Constitution gives all people a right to receive the equal protection of the laws. The Supreme Court has interpreted this to mean that the government can't treat you unequally because of certain identity characteristics, like sex or race. The Court has not yet decided whether transgender status is protected by the U.S. Constitution. Your state constitution might provide this or a similar right.

Statutory rights. Most rights for transgender people in the U.S. are “statutory,” meaning they come from a statute—that is, a law. Title VII, a federal employment law, and Title IX, a federal education law, are two examples of antidiscrimination statutes.

Procedural requirements. Sometimes, the Constitution or a statute might require certain procedures: for example, that changes be made in a particular way or by a particular branch of government (like Congress instead of the President). These are not “rights,” but may provide a basis to challenge an action.

Trump Administration Actions That Affect Trans Rights

In early 2025, the Trump Administration issued a number of executive orders that target transgender rights. (An executive order is basically an order from the President to agencies or government officials—for example, the Department of Education, or the U.S. Attorney General—directing them to take certain actions.) This section describes some of those orders.

But first, it is important to note that many of these executive orders have been challenged in court as potentially violating your constitutional rights or different federal or state laws. But even while those lawsuits are pending, your rights may be impacted by these orders.

Redefining “sex.” The Administration stated that it will only recognize two sexes, defined at the time of conception, and that it will not recognize a change in a person's sex. It is unclear how this policy will affect people who have already changed their gender markers in federal systems.

Sports. The Administration has threatened to rescind funding from schools and educational associations that allow trans women and girls to play on women and girls' teams. This has already impacted many schools.

K-12 schools. Some executive orders threaten to rescind funding from schools that promote “gender ideology” or “DEI” (diversity, equity, and inclusion). There is not a lot of guidance on what this means, and schools are wary to cross the line.

Military. This directive bars transgender people from serving in the military.

Medical care. Institutions that provide certain gender-affirming care were threatened with loss of federal funding.