On Thursday, the Williams Institute launched a new series of reports aimed at examining the impact of President Trump's executive orders on LGBTQ people. Keep in mind that there are limits on what a president can do through executive orders. Additionally, their implementation is often not immediate and many will be face substantial litigation.

Executive Order: "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government"

On January 20, President Trump signed an executive order redefining the word “sex” in federal programs and services to refer only to biological characteristics
“at conception” and as unchangeable.

Our new report finds that the order could impact millions of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people in many federal policy areas, including nondiscrimination laws, identity documents, prisons, and sex-segregated spaces. An estimated 1.6 million people aged 13 and older identify as transgender, and
1.2 million LGBTQ adults identify as nonbinary. As many as 5 million people may
be intersex, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Executive Order: "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity" 

On January 21, President Trump issued an executive order reversing protections for transgender federal employees and LGBTQ employees of federal contractors established by President Obama in 2014. The order also eliminates non-discrimination protections for employees of federal contractors based on race, national origin, sex, and religion dating back to the Johnson administration.

Our new report finds that the order will remove workplace protections for nearly 14,000 transgender federal employees and over 100,000 LGBTQ employees of federal contractors, along with many more employees of federal subcontractors.

The Williams Institute hosts the premier national moot court competition dedicated exclusively to sexual orientation and gender identity law. Competitors write an appellate brief on a current legal topic and argue the case before a panel of judges. This year’s problem will address an asexual school librarian’s rights under Title VII and the First Amendment.

All judges will be offered MCLE credit for participating in the competition. 

UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This session has requested MCLE credit and is currently pending approval. 

Daniel H. Renberg Law Fellow

The Williams Institute seeks a law fellow to engage in cutting-edge and high-quality research and analysis related to sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy. The law fellow will conduct legal and multi-disciplinary research on discrimination facing LGBTQ people, LGBTQ health, LGBTQ families, and criminal justice, among other topics. The fellow will provide research and writing support to senior scholars and will contribute to self-published reports, academic articles, public comments, amicus briefs, and other work. The position is for two years. 

Deadline to apply: February 13, 2025

Project Policy Analyst

The Williams Institute is looking for a policy analyst to assist scholars in conducting public policy, social science, and public health research related to the mission of the Institute. Responsibilities include research and analysis of regulations and legislation, data analysis, preparing written products, and coordinating project timelines, research materials, and data collection. The Institute is particularly interested in candidates with experience in analyzing racial and ethnic disparities, intersectional research, and/or democracy and international research questions.

Deadline to apply: March 6, 2025

Due to the recent fires and their devastating impact on Los Angeles, we have rescheduled our Jazz Brunch for Sunday, March 2.  Join us at the Los Angeles home of James Frost for jazz music and delicious food as we celebrate our rigorous, independent research on LGBTQ law and policy.

Mark your calendars! The Williams Institute's Annual Gala is set for April 5, 2025, at 1 Hotel in West Hollywood. This year's event will celebrate the power of research in combating misinformation and establishing the groundwork for evidence-based laws and policies.

The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law is an academic research institute dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy.