A new series by the Williams Institute examines the impact of President Trump's executive orders on LGBTQ people. There are limits on what a president can do through executive orders, and their implementation is often not immediate. Many of the orders have already been challenged through litigation, and implementation of some has been temporarily stopped.

Executive Order: "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports"

On February 5, President Trump signed an executive order aiming to prohibit transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports and using women’s locker rooms. The order targets school athletics at the K-12 and college levels and professional athletic associations.

Our new report finds that, if implemented, the order would have the most significant impact on transgender girls and women in the 23 states and D.C. without an explicit ban on transgender sports participation. Approximately 182,000 transgender youth aged 13-17 live in these jurisdictions and face new uncertainty over sports participation as the federal government seeks to enforce the order. The order could also have consequences for the 117,000 trans youth aged 13-17 currently living in states with bans.  

Our new report finds LGBT people in the U.S. are significantly more likely to experience violent victimization than non-LGBT people. LGBT victims of violence are also more likely than non-LGBT people to face serious violence—such as rape, sexual assault, robbery, or aggravated assault—and to suffer injuries because of these attacks.

When considering race/ethnicity, results show that Black (non-Hispanic) LGBT people have the highest rates of victimization overall, followed by Hispanic and White (non-Hispanic) LGBT people.

Rates^* of violent victimization among LGBT and non-LGBT people in the US

^*Rates per 1,000 people

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 up to three hours of MCLE credit for participating in the competition.

UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California-approved MCLE provider. This session is approved for 3  hours of MCLE credit.

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 28, 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.

You're invited! The Williams Institute's Annual Gala is scheduled 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.