LGBTQ Rights
Public support for LGBTQ rights is at a historic high. But 27 states ban trans youth healthcare, the military ban is back, and crisis funding has been cut. This series tracks the gap between public support, legislation, and the people caught in between.
15 briefs in this series
Community
Texas banned trans youth healthcare. Some families left. Others organized.
They Stayed. Trans Families in Texas Built the Support System the State Refused to Provide.
Texas banned gender-affirming care for minors. Some families left. Others organized. Trans Kids and Families of Texas grew from a therapy group to 500 families who chose community over exile.
9,398 Churches Said Yes. The United Methodist Church Dropped Every Anti-LGBTQ Rule It Had.
9,398 LGBTQ-affirming churches exist worldwide. The United Methodist Church removed all restrictions on LGBTQ ministry in 2024. In states passing anti-LGBTQ bills, congregations are voting the other direction.
If they can't fight for a crosswalk, it makes me really nervous about what comes next.
Policy
27 states banned care. 18 passed shield laws. 92% of bills were defeated. The military ban is back.
27 States Have Banned Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth. The Federal Government Wants to Make It Worse.
27 states banned gender-affirming care for trans youth. The federal government wants to expand the bans.
18 States Built a Shield. Families Are Driving 8 Hours to Reach One.
27 states banned trans youth healthcare. 18 states passed shield laws to protect it. The distance between them is measured in drive time, out-of-pocket costs, and the families who had to choose between their home and their child's care.
92% of Anti-LGBTQ Bills Fail Every Year. Here Is How Advocates Stop Them.
Florida stopped 4 of 5 anti-LGBTQ bills this session. Nationally, advocates defeat 92% of proposed bills every year for 15 years running. The wins don't get headlines. The strategy does.
The Transgender Military Ban Is Back. Ask Your Senators Where They Stand.
The Supreme Court let enforcement resume while lawsuits continue. Senators should not get to hide behind process.
The Machine
4 organizations. $485 million. 1,020 bills. 20% use identical language.
Crisis
70,000 contacts a month. Then the government shut it down. 39% of LGBTQ youth considered suicide.
2,000 Calls a Month Became 70,000. Then the Government Shut It Down.
The 988 LGBTQ+ youth crisis line grew from 2,000 contacts a month to 70,000. It handled 1.5 million contacts in three years. On July 17, 2025, SAMHSA terminated it.
The Data Is In. Anti-LGBTQ Laws Are Making Kids Sick.
Research links anti-LGBTQ state laws to a 72% spike in youth suicide attempts. Protective laws cut that risk by 18%. The policy connection is undeniable.
There are more states with bans against trans athletes than there are trans athletes.
Visibility
Abbott ordered the crosswalks removed. San Antonio painted new ones on the sidewalks.
1 more brief coming soon.
People
Running for office in places that tried to erase them. Winning.
Resilience
A bar open since 1933. A bookstore since 1973. Coming out at 14 in a state trying to erase you.
The Lavender Scare Fired 10,000 Federal Workers. The Pattern Has Not Changed.
In the 1950s, the government fired 10,000 people for being gay. In the 1980s, it ignored AIDS until 430,000 died. In 2025, it banned trans troops, defunded crisis lines, and erased ID recognition. The arguments change. The pattern does not.
Cafe Lafitte Opened in 1933. Giovanni's Room in 1973. They Are Still Here.
45% of gay bars in America closed between 2002 and 2023. 15 LGBTQ spaces closed in Texas since 2020. But a bar in New Orleans has been open for 90 years. A bookstore in Philadelphia has been open for 50. These are the places that lasted.
They Came Out at 14. Their Grandparents Waited Until 37. Now Both Generations Are Watching the Same Rights Disappear.
Gen Z comes out 20 years earlier than Baby Boomers did. 22% identify as LGBTQ+. Their mental health is worse than any generation before them. 90% say politics is hurting them. This is what it looks like to inherit rights and watch them erode.
Identity
22 states say you exist on paper. 6 took it back. The federal government banned it.
The attacks get headlines. The resistance does not. This series exists to cover both — what is being taken and what is being built in spite of it.
What you can do
Read the latest, contact your representatives, or support the organizations doing the work.