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January 20, 2017 | July 26, 2017 | February 01, 2018 | October 06, 2018 | June 18, 2019

January 20, 2017

Less than two hours after Trump and his virulently anti-LGBTQ+ activist Vice President Mike Pence were sworn into office, all mentions of LGBTQ+ issues were removed from the official White House webpage.

January 21, 2017

HRC and millions of demonstrators around the world came together for the Women’s March to protest Trump and his new administration aimed at tearing back our progress.

January 23, 2017

Trump's State Department removed from the website former Secretary of State John Kerry's apology for the infamous "Lavender Scare" witch hunt in the 1950s and 1960s, and other content LGBTQ+ content, like information on pride month observances and the State Department’s Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Persons.

January 25, 2017

Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to begin constructing a wall along the Mexico-U.S. border. He also ordered the immediate detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants -- sparking nationwide protests that his order would tear law-abiding immigrant families apart.

January 31, 2017

Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left following the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia. The next day, Gorsuch’s anti-equality record -- from opposing crucial media treatment for a transgender person to supporting a license to discriminate for private corporations -- led HRC to take the unprecedented step in opposing this nomination, a first for the organization.

February 15, 2017

In response to the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ)announcement that it will no longer challenge a nationwide hold on protections for transgender students, hundreds of parents of transgender children sent a letter to Trump condemning the decision and calling on his administration to fully enforce federal civil rights laws.

February 22, 2017

Under the direction of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education revoked the Obama Administration’s guidance detailing school obligations to transgender students under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

March 06, 2017

The Supreme Court sent Gavin Grimm's case back to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals following the Trump Administration's decision to rescind protective school guidance for transgender students; resulting in transgender students having to wait for a decision from the nation's highest court to affirm their basic rights for at least another year.

March 10, 2017

Trump’s Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) -- led by anti-LGBTQ+ proponent Secretary Ben Carson -- withdrew two notices impacting LGBTQ+ people. The first notice withdrew a requirement for emergency shelters receiving HUD funding to post information about LGBTQ+ people’s rights to access shelter safely and in accordance with their gender identity. The second notice withdrew critical data collection and implementation guidelines for a homelessness prevention initiative targeting LGBTQ+ youth.

March 20, 2017

Trump administration’s HHS amended two surveys of the elderly to remove a question about sexual orientation. The department uses the National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants (NSOAAP) to decide how to allocate federal funding to groups that work with the elderly; removing the critical question was the only change made to the survey.

March 23, 2017

HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding Trump’s nomination of Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. In her testimony, she details Gorsuch’s long and troubling career opposing civil rights, including for LGBTQ+ people.

March 28, 2017

The Trump-Pence administration announced it will strike data collection regarding sexual orientation and gender identity from the 2020 census. Trump’s effort to remove the language served as a larger campaign to erase LGBTQ+ people from federal surveys and disrupt programs that provide direct assistance to the LGBTQ+ community.

April 04, 2017

In a significant victory for LGBTQ+ rights, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act provides protections based on sexual orientation. This decision marked the first time a federal appellate court has ruled this way and reversed a previous decision made in July.

April 12, 2017

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. During his visit, HRC urged the secretary to condemn the atrocities happening in Chechnya after several news outlets reported that officials were torturing and killing gay men in “detention-style camps.”

May 02, 2017

HRC joined with bipartisan lawmakers and an unprecedented number of businesses to announce the re-introduction of the Equality Act — federal legislation that would finally guarantee explicit, permanent protections for LGBTQ+ people under our nation's existing civil rights laws.

May 04, 2017

Trump signed an executive order giving AG Sessions discretion to create a license-to-discriminate in agencies across the federal government against LGBTQ+ Americans and women. HRC joined other LGBTQ+ organizations rallied at the White House in protest.

May 05, 2017

In a victory for the LGBTQ+ community, Trump’s nominee for Army Secretary, Mark Green, announced he would remove himself from consideration, after weeks of pressure from HRC. Our members took over 25,000 actions to #StopMarkGreen and lead a robust campaign to expose his shameful history of attacking LGBTQ+ people.

May 23, 2017

The Trump administration released its budget for Fiscal Year 2018 filled with draconian cuts to safety net programs that would be devastating to millions of Americans. On the chopping block are critical programs that focus on preventing, fighting, and finding cures for diseases, and on programs that provide health services to people living with HIV, low-income women, children, the disabled and elderly.

May 24, 2017

June 15, 2017

In an alarming op-ed in Newsweek titled “Trump Doesn’t Care About HIV. We’re Outta Here,” one of the six dedicated HIV experts who had served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) wrote about leaving over the Trump-Pence administration’s complacency in fighting the HIV epidemic.

July 26, 2017

Trump made the dangerous and unpatriotic move to reinstate a ban on qualified transgender people serving in the military. His reprehensible action, announced in a series of tweets, could result in the discharge of more than 15,000 transgender Americans currently serving our country. The move, a blatant political maneuver to appeal to the most radical in Trump's base, will undermine military morale and readiness.

July 28, 2017

The Trump-Pence-McConnell bill to strip health care from millions fails to pass in the Senate. The plan to repeal the ACA would have caused insurance premiums to drastically rise and leave millions of Americans uninsured, with a particularly devastating impact on low-income senior citizens, women, children, LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV. While a win for millions of Americans, our fight is far from over.

August 01, 2017

In a clear repudiation of Trump’s harmful and ill-conceived Twitter policy-making, 56 retired Generals and Admirals released a joint statement warning his transgender military ban would degrade military readiness.

August 28, 2017

HRC joined as plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit brought by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN against the White House directive that interferes in Department of Defense personnel policy by pushing forward Trump’s and Pence’s transgender military ban. HRC called on Secretary of Defense James Mattis to protect transgender service members from the vicious political assault.

August 29, 2017

More than 140 U.S. House Democrats condemn Trump’s trans military ban. In a letter to Trump, they wrote: “Implicitly, your ban denies the value of transgender servicemembers, and it questions the professionalism of those who serve beside them. Our Armed Forces have grown more equal and more inclusive over time, often in the face of strident opposition.” Read the full letter here.

September 05, 2017

The Trump-Pence administration cruelly decided to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that allowed hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought to the U.S. as minors to stay in the country, to continue their studies and to continue making positive contributions to our nation. It is estimated that approximately 75,000 of these “Dreamers” are LGBTQ+. HRC has called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform and has endorsed the 2017 DREAM Act.

September 12, 2017

HRC Foundation released a new report, Trump’s Administrative Abuse and the LGBTQ Community, highlighting the Trump-Pence administration's highly unusual and abusive efforts to quietly roll back critical protections, programs and services for the LGBTQ+ community by bypassing longstanding administrative policies and customs for instituting such changes.

September 23, 2017

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos officially rescinded critical 2011 Title IX guidance related to schools' obligations to address sexual harassment, including sexual violence. For the LGBTQ+ community, which faces disproportionate levels of sexual assault and violence, this decision sends a strong signal that the Department of Education will not use its full power to protect them from harm.

October 05, 2017

At the direction of AG Sessions, DOJ issued a memo to government lawyers rescinding Obama administration guidance that discrimination protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1965 apply to transgender people. The Trump-Pence DOJ instructed U.S. attorneys to adopt this dangerous position in all pending and future matters.

October 06, 2017

DOJ began the implementation of a sweeping “license to discriminate” that will put millions of LGBTQ+ Americans at risk of discrimination, as well as release a new regulation that could deny millions of Americans access to critical contraceptive care previously guaranteed under the ACA.

October 13, 2017

The U.S. House of Representatives introduced bipartisan legislation to protect currently-serving transgender service members from being discharged due to Trump’s transgender military ban.

October 16, 2017

In a stunning new piece by the The New Yorker, Trump “jokes” Pence wants to hang LGBTQ+ people. Mike Pence has spent his career attacking LGBTQ+ people in Congress, in the governor's mansion, and now in the White House. Donald Trump's remark lays open the depth of their hostility and animosity toward LGBTQ+ people, and just how deeply they believe we should be treated as second-class citizens in our own country.

October 30, 2017

A U.S. federal judge blocked the Trump-Pence administration’s unconstitutional ban on military service by transgender troops in the case brought by NCLR and GLAD.

October 31, 2017

HRC hailed the U.S. Senate’s passage of a resolution condemning the violence and persecution against LGBTQ+ people in Chechnya.

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a nearly identical bipartisan resolution in June. To date, neither Trump nor Secretary Tillerson have publicly condemned the atrocities.

November 21, 2017

A second federal judge blocks enforcement of the Trump-Pence administration’s ban on military service by transgender troops. The decision by U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Gabris in Maryland came just hours before oral arguments in a third case challenging the unconstitutional ban, and also explicitly affirms the right of transgender troops to access medically-necessary care.

December 05, 2017

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the startling admission that Trump agreed with the position articulated before the Supreme Court by his solicitor general, Noel Francisco, that businesses should be allowed to hang signs that say they won’t serve LGBTQ+ customers.

December 11, 2017

A federal court in Seattle ordered an immediate halt to the Trump administration’s discriminatory plan to ban transgender people from serving openly in the U.S. Armed Services. The ruling came in the lawsuit brought by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN challenging the ban and prevents the ban from being implemented while the case proceeds.

December 19, 2017

HRC and artist Robin Bell projected the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) banned words onto the side of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC. The display came on the heels of a Washington Post’s report that the Trump-Pence administration banned the use of seven words -- "transgender," "fetus," "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "evidence-based" and "science-based” -- by the CDC.

December 22, 2017

Trump signed into law a $1.5 trillion tax-scam bill that was carefully crafted to undermine the ACA and other vital health care programs. Republican leadership rushed the partisan bill through both chambers of Congress in less than 24 hours and didn’t receive a single vote from Democratic lawmakers.

January 18, 2018

The Trump-Pence administration launched the “Division of Conscience and Religious Freedom” at HHS, which could enable discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, women, and others. The creation of the unnecessary new division will likely promote a license to discriminate and divert needed enforcement resources and encourages discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.

February 01, 2018

The Trump-Pence administration refused to sign a statement in support of an Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ ruling on marriage equality and transgender rights.

February 07, 2018

More than 700 parents of transgender children sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos condemning her failure to protect transgender students and calling on her to recognize the basic human and civil rights of transgender young people in our nation’s schools.

February 12, 2018

The Department of Education made the shocking announcement that they will refuse to respond to civil rights complaints filed by transgender students who are barred from using bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

March 01, 2018

HRC, Lambda Legal, OutServe-SLDN, the American Military Partner Association, and Gender Justice League unveiled a new television ad -- entitled “Patriots” -- featuring military, national security, and bipartisan officials voicing opposition to the Trump-Pence administration’s ban on transgender service members.

March 07, 2018

Secretary Carson released a new mission statement for HUD that removed several key phrases from the existing mission statement that prioritized fighting discrimination in housing and supporting access and inclusivity in all communities.

March 20, 2018

HRC criticized Secretary Ben Carson’s shameful admission that HUD was delaying important resources protecting LGBTQ+ people in homeless shelters. Carson testified during a budget hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, HUD, and related agencies.

March 28, 2018

More than 4,500 LGBTQ+ people and allies from every state, including D.C. and Puerto Rico, joined HRC to submit comments about the proposed Trump-Pence administration’s so-called “conscience” regulation at HHS. If finalized, it would empower health care providers to deny LGBTQ+ people and women necessary care, and deter healthcare organizations and providers from taking necessary action to guarantee that all patients have access to the care they not only deserve, but are legally entitled to.

March 29, 2018

HRC released a letter from HRC President Chad Griffin to Donald Trump calling on him to end his deafening silence on the ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ crimes against humanity in the Russian republic of Chechnya. Griffin's letter comes as HRC is also urging its members and supporters to contact the White House and demand Trump condemn the atrocities as “crimes against humanity.”

April 19, 2018

HRC launched “The Real Mike Pence,” a comprehensive campaign -- including a scathing report and microsite -- exposing the vice president’s long history of anti-LGBTQ+ animus and shining a spotlight on the inordinate influence he and his inner circle wield in the administration.

May 11, 2018

HRC responded to news that the Trump-Pence administration has ordered the Bureau of Prisons to use “biological sex” in determining how transgender prisoners are assigned housing, putting them at significant risk of sexual abuse, assault, and other types of discrimination.

May 23, 2018

HRC and artist Robin Bell projected a message to Betsy DeVos to raise awareness about how the Trump-Pence administration’s policies are harming already vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth. HRC released the results of a groundbreaking survey of 12,000 LGBTQ+ teens on to the U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C.

June 15, 2018

A federal court in Seattle denied yet another attempt by the Trump administration to implement its discriminatory plan to ban transgender people from serving openly in the U.S. Armed Services.

July 09, 2018

HRC called on the Senate to reject Brett Kavanaugh, who was pre-cleared by anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-choice organizations and nominated by the Trump-Pence Administration to the Supreme Court. HRC joined our partner organizations including Planned Parenthood and NARAL to oppose Kavanaugh’s nomination.

July 15, 2018

Ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki, HRC projected an enormous message onto the Presidential Palace in Helsinki demanding that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin immediately end the ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ crimes against humanity occurring in the Russian republic of Chechnya.

July 30, 2018

HRC blasted the Trump-Pence administration’s creation of a taxpayer-funded task force as part of their ongoing campaign to license discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in the public square.

August 07, 2018

HRC sent FOIA request to the Department of Justice calling for the release of all records related to the so-called “Religious Liberty Task Force” announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on July 30, 2018. HRC is demanding transparency from the DOJ, which has not provided details publicly on the activities of the task force, including how much it is spending, what it’s mandate and scope is, and who is on it.

September 06, 2018

HRC responded to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s repeated refusal to answer basic questions from Senator Kamala Harris on whether the landmark Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, legalizing marriage equality throughout the United States, was decided correctly.

September 21, 2018

HRC blasted Mike Pence’s decision to speak at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., alongside numerous anti-LGBTQ+ extremists, notably Elizabeth Johnston, Dr. Paul McHugh, and Dr. Sebastian “Seb” Gorka, all known for their extremist advocacy against LGBTQ+ people.

September 24, 2018

HRC released a letter to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen calling on her to take action ensuring the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) addresses the alarming rate of reported sexual abuse that LGBTQ+ people face while in ICE detention.

October 06, 2018

HRC responded to the U.S. Senate’s 50-48-1 confirmation vote of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, despite his extreme record, multiple allegations of sexual assault, lying under oath, and a severe lack of transparency throughout the confirmation process.

October 21, 2018

HRC responded to an explosive New York Times report that the Trump-Pence administration intends to redefine “sex” to intentionally exclude LGBTQ+ people and their families from non-discrimination protections. According to the report, HHS is planning to release regulations narrowly defining “sex” in an anti-transgender way that guts enforcement of existing civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people.

October 24, 2018

HRC responded to news that Trump’s Solicitor General, Noel Francisco, argued to the Supreme Court that civil rights protections banning sex discrimination in the workplace do not cover transgender employees, just days after the New York Times revealed the Trump-Pence White House is attempting to redefine “sex” across the federal government in order to justify their decision to refuse to protect transgender people under federal civil rights law.

October 29, 2018

HRC sent a FOIA to HHS for all records related to the Trump-Pence administration’s efforts to redefine the word “sex” in order to exclude transgender people from federal civil rights protections and enable discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in general.

November 07, 2018

HRC celebrated historic victories for HRC-endorsed LGBTQ+ candidates and pro-equality allies in key races across the nation. Dozens of HRC-backed candidates declared victory tonight, following 18 months of unprecedented engagement and voter mobilization in more than 70 congressional races and key state-level races from governor to state legislature in 23 states from coast-to-coast.

November 16, 2018

HRC responded to a new proposal from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to change Title IX in a way that would suppress the voices of survivors of rape and sexual assault and make it easier for their perpetrators to get away with their actions.

November 19, 2018

HRC sent a FOIA request to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in response to news that the Trump-Pence White House and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue are attacking LGBTQ+ youth by pressuring the national 4-H youth organization to rescind a policy welcoming LGBTQ+ participants.

December 12, 2018

In the face of unrelenting attacks from the Trump-Pence administration, HRC continues to call for support and protection of immigrants, asylum seekers and other vulnerable communities.

January 22, 2019

The Supreme Court declined to hear any cases challenging the Trump-Pence administration’s ban on transgender troops, and WILL ALLOW the administration to move forward with implementing this discriminatory policy.

January 22, 2019

HRC blasted the Trump-Pence administration’s proposed rule that could have a devastating impact on people living with HIV. This proposal would remove critical safeguards currently in place designed to ensure that people living with HIV and AIDS can access the medications they need. If this rule goes into effect it could result in the denial of coverage for life saving medications, including antiretrovirals.

February 04, 2019

HRC called out the Trump-Pence administration following reports that Trump would announce an intention to eliminate domestic HIV transmissions by 2030 during his State of the Union address, despite his administration’s ongoing record of undermining HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and awareness.

February 15, 2019

HRC blasted Trump’s unprecedented and potentially unconstitutional move to declare a national emergency to fund a border wall. From revoking protections for more than a million Dreamers, including 75,000 LGBTQ+ young people, detaining tens of thousands of immigrants, making asylum claims almost impossible and separating thousands of children from their parents, the Trump-Pence Administration has harmed our country and violated the trust of the American people.

March 20, 2019

HRC responded to the Trump-Pence administration’s refusal to join more than 30 countries in calling for a thorough investigation into the ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ crimes against humanity occurring in the Russian republic of Chechnya. The United States refused to sign a joint statement issued by United Nations member nations calling for “a swift, thorough and impartial investigation into the alleged persecution,” and that those responsible be held accountable.

March 28, 2019

HRC lauded the bipartisan vote in the U.S. House opposing the Trump-Pence administration’s discriminatory ban on transgender service members and recruits. The resolution was sponsored by U.S. Representative Joseph Kennedy, III (D-MA), chair of the Congressional Transgender Equality Task Force.

April 11, 2019

One day ahead of the implementation of the Trump-Pence administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military, HRC recommitted to fighting the dangerous and discriminatory policy until it is defeated once and for all.

May 02, 2019

The Trump-Pence administration's HHS announced a final version of a regulation that would allow medical providers to cite their personal beliefs in refusing to provide a broad spectrum of services — including lifesaving care for LGBTQ+ patients.

May 13, 2019

The Trump-Pence administration announced it would oppose the Equality Act, crucially important, bipartisan legislation that would provide comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people in key areas of life, including in employment, housing, public spaces, education, jury services, credit and federal funding.

May 24, 2019

The Trump-Pence administration’s HHS proposed a major change to the administrative rule interpreting Section 1557 of the ACA to remove explicit protections for LGBTQ+ people in healthcare programs and activities by excluding protections from discrimination based on sex stereotyping and gender identity.

June 07, 2019

A week following Donald Trump's tweets in support of LGBTQ+ people, his administration has prohibited U.S. embassies from publicly flying the rainbow Pride flag, a symbol of LGBTQ+ equality.

June 14, 2019

In a letter to Ben Carson, Senators demand the Department of Housing and Urban Development protect housing rights for transgender people in HUD-funded emergency and temporary homeless shelters.

June 18, 2019

With the launch of Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, HRC highlights the horrific things he’s done to the LGBTQ+ community since taking office.

June 21, 2019

HRC joined our coalition partners in stopping the HHS from implementing a discriminatory proposal that would strip away explicit health care protections on the basis of gender identity, effectively targeting transgender and gender non-conforming people’s access to critical care.

June 23, 2019

HRC submitted a comment against the Trump-Pence HHS proposed rule change that would abandon data collection on the sexual orientation of youth in foster care and foster and adoptive parents and guardians in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.

July 10, 2019

Here are six signs that the Trump-Pence administration has pulled the U.S. away from its position as a leader on advancing human rights for LGBTQ+ people around the globe.

July 10, 2019

HRC responded to the House passage of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA includes an amendment offered by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) that would codify non-discrimination protections in the military and end the ban on transgender military service.

August 13, 2019

HRC announces that it -- along with a dozen coalition partners -- submitted over 120,000 public comments against the Trump-Pence administration’s proposed regulation to strip out protections for transgender patients and other marginalized communities in the Affordable Car Act, commonly known as Section 1557.

August 14, 2019

HRC denounced a Trump-Pence administration proposal that would gut non-discrimination protections, including for LGBTQ+ people, by adding religious exemptions to President Obama’s 2014 executive order that prohibits discrimination in hiring by federal contractors on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity.

August 16, 2019

HRC condemned the Department of Justice’s brief submitted arguing that transgender people are not protected by Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination. This brief was submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case EEOC v. Harris Funeral Homes.

August 23, 2019

The latest proposal out of the Department of Labor attempts to gut protections for LGBTQ+ people, women and religious minorities by adding unprecedented religious exemptions to a historic executive order prohibiting discrimination against the employees of federal contractors and subcontractors.

September 18, 2019

HRC announced that it submitted more than 10,000 public comments against the Trump-Pence administration’s proposed regulation that would gut nondiscrimination protections — including for LGBTQ+ people.

September 19, 2019

The Washington Post reported that Ben Carson made dismissive comments to staff about transgender people during a recent visit HUD’s San Francisco office. In a year that has already witnessed the untimely deaths of 19 trans people, including 18 of them being Black trans women, Carson’s efforts to dehumanize the most vulnerable among us only continues to make this epidemic even worse.

September 24, 2019

Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly and spoke on his administration’s work to stop the criminalization of homosexuality in countries around the world. The Trump-Pence administration has made little effort and instead continues to dismantle LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. and attack the community through federal policy.

October 8, 2019

In oral arguments for Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, the Trump administration argued that employers should be able to fire LGBTQ+ people because of sexual orientation or gender identity.

November 1, 2019

As National Adoption Month began, the Trump-Pence administration issued a federal regulation stripping away nondiscrimination protections and permitting Department of Health and Human Services grant recipients - notably adoption and foster care agencies - to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people and still receive federal funding.

November 7, 2019

Former Florida District Attorney Pam Bondi joined the Trump-Pence administration, perpetuating a culture of anti-LGBTQ+ personnel hiring practices by the administration. Bondi attempted to fight against a same-sex marriage ruling by a federal judge and ended up costing state taxpayers $500,000.

November 25, 2019

Department of Justice Pride, representing the thousands of LGBTQ+ employees at the DOJ, penned a letter to Attorney General Barr criticizing the administration’s attempt to strip protections from LGBTQ+ employees under the Civil Rights Act.

November 26, 2019

HRC called on Donald Trump Jr. to issue an apology for his offensive tweet targeting those living with HIV & AIDS. HRC further asked the Trump-Pence administration to invest in the programs and resources needed to improve HIV & AIDS treatment in the U.S.

December 3, 2019

The Trump-Pence administration, alongside the Hungarian and Brazilian governments, worked to organize a conference featuring well-known promoters of anti-LGBTQ+ policies.

December 6, 2019

HRC joined fellow advocacy groups in calling for the withdrawal of Lawrence VanDyke’s nomination to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. VanDyke, former Solicitor General of both Nevada and Montana, has a record of extremist anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and actions.

December 18, 2019

HRC announced its support for the formal impeachment of President Trump after Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed a formal impeachment inquiry.

January 2, 2020

The Interior Department deleted “sexual orientation” from its anti-discrimination guidelines, joining a growing list of federal departments and agencies that have rolled back LGBTQ+ protections since President Trump took office.

January 17, 2020

The Trump-Pence administration issued eight proposed rules revising regulations that guide the participation of faith-based organizations as service providers of federally funded programs. These new rules would undercut LGBTQ+ rights and allow for greater discrimination.

March 26, 2020

The Trump-Pence administration filed a statement regarding an ongoing Connecticut court case and made the claim that transgender girls are “biological males” and not protected under Title IX.

April 2, 2020

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump-Pence administration refused to reopen the Affordable Care Act online marketplace to those whose health insurance was impacted by the crisis. This decision impacts the more than 20 million Americans and almost one-in-five LGBTQ+ people lacking health coverage.

May 13, 2020

The Department of Health and Human Services submitted a final rule that would abandon data collection on the sexual orientation of youth in foster care and foster and adoptive parents and guardians in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). This rule would undermine the welfare of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care.

May 15, 2020

Trump announced Jenna Ellis, an anti-LGBTQ+ extremist, would be added to his re-election campaign. Ellis is just one of the many anti-LGBTQ+ people Trump has surrounded himself with throughout his presidency.

June 12, 2020

The Trump-Pence administration formally published a rule designed to roll back critical civil rights protections in the implementation of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which protects from discrimination based on sex stereotyping and gender identity. HRC filed a lawsuit against the administration in response to the rule. A temporary injunction was granted against the rule pending a final determination in HRC’s lawsuit against the Trump-Pence administration’s actions.

June 15, 2020

The Trump-Pence administration’s Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice announced a proposal that would sharply restrict how asylum is granted to those seeking refuge in the United States. The rule would make it easier for judges to reject asylum claims from LGBTQ+ people. HRC joined AsylumWorks to spotlight the experience of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers.

June 17, 2020

During a speech at the White House, Donald Trump falsely claimed that scientists had developed a vaccine for AIDS. This came after his administration has made it more difficult for LGBTQ+ people living with HIV/AIDS to access life-saving health care, including the essential dismantling of the advisory council on HIV & AIDS.

June 26th, 2020

HRC filed a lawsuit against the Trump-Pence administration challenging a recently published regulation by the Department of Health and Human Service which stripped away anti-discrimination protections under the Affordable Care Act. The civil rights lawsuit was filed on behalf of two transgender women of color, Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker and Cecilia Gentili.

July 21st, 2020

The Trump-Pence administration announced its decision to exclude undocumented immigrants from being counted during the congressional redistricting period following the 2020 Census.

July 23rd, 2020

The Trump-Pence administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a proposal that would undermine protections for transgender and gender non-conforming people served by HUD programs.

July 29th, 2020

The Trump-Pence administration’s Department of Homeland Security released a memo stating it will reject all new and pending DACA applications as well as decrease the length of renewal extensions from two years to one year. Millions of people, including many LGBTQ+ individuals, rely on DACA and deserve a fair path to citizenship.

July 30th, 2020

President Trump sent a tweet full of disinformation suggesting the November elections should be delayed, furthering baseless claims of electoral fraud.

August 8th, 2020

President Trump signed an executive order that cut weekly unemployment benefits by $200, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities like LGBTQ+ people and BIPOC people.

August 10th, 2020

Jenna Ellis, Trump Campaign Senior Legal Advisor, intentionally misgendered Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine. Dr. Levine is an openly transgender woman who has served as a leader in Pennsylvania’s public health response to COVID-19.

August 17th, 2020

HRC won a preliminary injunction against the Trump-Pence administration for advancing a rule that would have eliminated explicit anti-discrimination protections based on sex stereotyping and gender identity.

August 28th, 2020

HRC responded to the week-long attacks from Republicans at the Republican National Convention. “Throughout the week, the Republican Party has layered lies on top of lies in its attempt to create an alternate America. An America without COVID-19, without systemic racism and the racial reckoning our nation is facing – an American without facts.

September 10th, 2020

President Trump updated his Supreme Court nominee shortlist after missing numerous self-imposed deadlines to do so in recent months. HRC responded with this statement regarding the nominees: “This shortlist is nothing but a wish list from groups such as the Federalist Society and The Heritage Foundation, which have a track record of hostility towards progress, tolerance and equality.”

September 26th, 2020

President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court to replace the vacant seat following the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Judge Coney Barrett has defended the dissenters in Obergefell v. Hodges, claimed that Title IX protections do not extend to transgender Americans and called Roe v. Wade an “erroneous decision.”

September 29th, 2020

During the first Presidential Debate of the 2020 election cycle, President Trump refused to denounce white supremacists, instead telling them to “stand back and stand by.” This constant rhetoric from Trump has encouraged violence and furthered racist attacks/threats against communities of color.

October 9th, 2020

HRC released a 9-page report presenting the troubling judicial philosophy of President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett has openly stated that her judicial philosophy follows that of former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia ruled against cases dealing with LGBTQ equality throughout his tenure.

October 12th, 2020

Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos named anti-LGBTQ+ extremist Sarah Perry as one of the co-chairs of the new Diversity and Inclusion Council. Perry has had a long history of statements and activism against transgender people.

October 14th, 2020

The Trump campaign announced an LGBTQ+-focused event titled “Trump Pride” in Phoenix, Arizona. The featured speakers were anti-LGBTQ+ extremist Kelli Ward and far-right provocateur Chadwick Moore. Kelli Ward supported legislation that would allow businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people while Chadwick Moore claims the story of Stonewall is a lie and spreads misinformation on transgender individuals.

October 26th, 2020

President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed by the Senate.

December 7th, 2020

The Trump-Pence administration announced a final rule that would gut non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people. The administration is adding a religious exemption to the enforcement of the executive order that prohibits discrimination in hiring by federal contractors.

January 6th, 2021

President Trump held a rally at the White House in which he encouraged his supporters to disrupt the vote of the slate of electors in Congress. This led to thousands of Trump supporters to march to the Capitol, breaking in and threatening the lives of elected officials. The insurrection resulted in six deaths.

January 7th, 2021

HRC announced its support for the formal and immediate removal of President Trump from office, whether from invocation of the 25th Amendment or by impeachment and conviction.

January 8th, 2021

The Trump-Pence White House finalized an 11th-hour regulation that permits discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities and women in programs related to foster care, adoption, HIV and STI prevention, youth homelessness, refugee resettlement elder care and more.

January 13th, 2021

The U.S. House of Representatives impeached Donald Trump for the second time.

Trump's Record of Hate

Since Trump was sworn into office, our nation’s federal courts have halted his draconian and illegal executive actions from being implemented, while millions of people across the country have become more politically engaged, standing up against hate and bigotry.

But Trump is a bully and so is his administration. He will do everything in his power to tear back the progress made under former President Obama, including rolling back and undermining laws that help the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups.

HRC will continue to stand up against Trump. We will join other civil rights organizations and remain vigilant in holding Trump and his administration accountable at every turn.