ICYMI

In a victory for transgender people and their families, a federal judge has granted a request for a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of President Donald Trump’s executive orders threatening federal funding for providers of gender-affirming medical care for people under 19. The preliminary injunction extends a temporary restraining order that was previously entered in the case and was set to expire March 5.

“Again, the court has ruled to ensure hospitals, doctors, and healthcare professionals in our communities can continue the work to keep our families healthy. Transgender people and their supportive parents and families are good and decent people who deserve the freedom to be themselves and to thrive. PFLAG National and our vast network of chapters, members and supporters will continue to ensure that love leads in this fight for justice for transgender people,” said Brian K. Bond (he/him), Chief Executive Officer of PFLAG National.

Take Action

Thank the U.S. Senators who voted NO on the anti-trans athlete ban! The Senate voted NOT to advance S. 9, a federal anti-trans athlete ban, on Monday, March 3rd. Yet, Senators who supported transgender people with their vote are getting a lot of grief from anti-equality organizations and their supporters. Make sure that our love and gratitude for backing trans people is louder. We need everyone to call and write to our allies in the Senate to thank them for standing with us and protecting trans kids.  

North Dakotans

Tell your State Senator to vote NO on HB 1430. The State House voted to repeal regulations banning conversion therapy. Using bogus appeals to “freedom of speech,” they are trying to subject LGBTQ+ kids to this dangerous and discredited practice. And we need to stop this bill from moving any further. Tell your state senators to protect LGBTQ+ kids and vote NO on HB 1430!    

State Matters

Here is a sample of what’s going on around the country. Please be kind to yourself and use your discretion while reading this section. You can share news from your state with [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future newsletter.

Indiana - Gov. Mike Braun signs two anti-trans executive orders. One executive order directs the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to ban trans women from women’s sports while the other tells executive agencies to “enforce the biological binary” of gender. 

Iowa - Gov. Kim Reynolds signs civil rights rollback bill into law. By removing gender identity as a protected characteristic in the Iowa Civil Rights Act, Iowa becomes the first state in the country to take away civil rights from a previously protected group. 

Minnesota - Anti-trans athlete ban fails in the House. HF 12 failed on a party-line vote of 67-66 (68 votes were needed for the bill to pass) on March 3rd. 

Missouri - State Senate passes bill removing sunset provisions in anti-trans laws. The state’s laws that ban medically necessary care for trans and nonbinary youth and that ban trans girls from girls sports teams are temporary and expected to sunset in 2027. However, SB 10 would make those anti-trans laws permanent. 

Montana - Anti-same-sex marriage resolution tabled. A Senate committee split evenly, 4-4, on a vote to advance a resolution urging the Supreme Court to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. The split vote means the resolution will not advance to the Senate floor. 

New Hampshire - State House advances anti-trans facilities ban bill. The House Judiciary Committee voted 10-8 along party lines to advance HB 148. This bill would allow schools, detention centers, and businesses to segregate bathrooms, sports teams, housing, and other facilities by sex assigned at birth.

Court Matters

Court filing shows Pentagon “waiver” for trans military ban forces trans servicemembers to deny their identity. A document submitted in the case of Talbott v. Trump in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia confirmed that people with gender dysphoria or who have undergone any transition-related medical care are ineligible to serve in the military, with some waivers available in limited circumstances. Waivers, the document shows, are only available to those who have lived as their sex assigned at birth for 36 consecutive months, have never attempted to transition, and must be willing to adhere to military standards associated with their sex assigned at birth.

Federal Matters

In addition to other federal issues, this section includes ongoing activity regarding the executive orders (EOs) signed by President Trump since January 20, 2025.  Please know that EOs do NOT override the United States Constitution, federal statutes, or established legal precedent. EOs are required by law to follow a process before changes can be implemented, and for many of these EOs, litigation is not only expected but is also already happening, such as PFLAG v Trump (see above). 

To inform your activism, advocacy, and media work, please use our explainers and resources web page, which is updated frequently as we gather information from our many trusted partners.

Federal anti-trans athlete ban stalls in the Senate. S. 9 failed to get the 60 votes needed to advance in the chamber, garnering only 51 yes votes to 45 no votes, along party lines. 

Trump touts anti-trans, anti-DEI policies in speech to Congress. The President specifically mentioned his executive order to ban trans women from women’s sports and order to end DEI programs in government agencies. He also falsely claimed that the government had spent $8 million “for making mice transgender;” it is impossible for an animal with no conception of gender to be transgender, with or without funds from the federal government.  

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) considering policies and regulations to ban medically necessary care for trans and nonbinary youth. On March 6th, CMS sent a notice to hospitals around the country that it  “may” be looking to adjust regulations and “take additional appropriate actions” related to restricting gender-affirming care for minors. 

Announced termination of funding for HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa could cause hundreds of thousands of deaths. The federal government has announced a permanent end to funding for HIV prevention projects. Projections of the impact of these funding cuts include the potential for 500,000 deaths over the next 10 years in South Africa alone. Duke University public and global health researchers issued this related PEPFAR report on Feb. 25th. 

U.S. withdraws from U.N. LGBTI Core Group. The LGBTI Core Group is a coalition of United Nations (UN) member states formed in 2008 committed to supporting the rights of LGBTQI+ people worldwide. The State Department announced the U.S. withdrew from the group on February 14th.

Department of Education announces investigation into Washington school district after complaint about a trans student basketball player. The Tumwater School District in Washington State is the subject of a Title IX investigation after a conservative group filed a complaint on behalf of a student who claims she sat out a basketball game because a player on the opposing team was trans.

Global Matters

Ghana - Members of Parliament re-introduce harsh anti-LGBTQ+ bill. The bill would impose a three-year jail term for people who identify as gay, and five to 10 years for “promoters and advocates” of LGBTQ+ people. The proposal passed Parliament last year, but then-President Akufo-Addo withheld his signature, citing legal challenges against it.

Hungary - Government moves to ban Budapest Pride march. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Chief of Staff announced that “There will be no Pride in the public form in which we have known it in recent decades...We believe that the country should not tolerate Pride marching through the city center.” Budapest Pride is scheduled for June 28th.

Media Matters

Evan Low named President of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. The former California state representative was announced as the Victory Fund’s next president and CEO on March 4th. Low will succeed former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who has led Victory Fund since 2017.

Cynthia Eviro to headline WorldPride concert. Erivo will headline the WorldPride 2025 Saturday night Street Festival and Concert on the Capitol Stage following the parade on June 7th. 

PFLAG National
(202) 467-8180 | [email protected]

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