Project 2025 In Trump’s First Month: The Threat to LGBTQ+ Rights and Freedoms

The not-so-hidden agenda behind Project 2025 

Project 2025, a conservative policy plan driven by the Heritage Foundation, has gained attention for its far-reaching proposals aimed at reshaping America’s society. Many of these policies seek to target LGBTQ+ Americans and strip them of their civil liberties and rights. Though President Trump claimed to not know about Project 2025, many anti-LGBTQ+ ideas from Project 2025 have been implemented through Trump’s executive orders. As part of Interfaith Alliance’s work to promote Freedom not Extremism and protect LGBTQ+ freedom, it is essential to examine the influence Project 2025 has had on proposed and implemented policies and to look at its potential consequences for LGBTQ+ rights.

Implemented or In Progress:

Rescinding Biden-era Title IX Policies
The Biden administration’s policies on Title IX sought to protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination in schools and universities. Project 2025 aims to dismantle these protections by narrowing the scope of Title IX to exclude sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories. These plans were explicitly announced in a Department of Education press release, which specified that Title IX regulations would be amended to those implemented in the first Trump administration. 

Reclassifying "Sex" as a Fixed Biological Fact
Project 2025 claimed that the Executive Office must declare that "sex" is a fixed biological fact. Not only does this erase legal recognition of gender identity as a valid and protected status, but it targets the trans and non-binary community, undermines the rights of transgender individuals, and opens the door for widespread discrimination for those who do not easily fit into the gender binary. On the first day of Trump’s term,  Executive Order 14168 was released, officially recognizing only two genders, male and female.  

Targeting the Economic Welfare of LGBTQ+ Individuals
Project 2025 has laid out plans to review government contracts with entities that enforce a "woke agenda," including those supporting LGBTQ+ rights. Additionally, the Gender Policy Council, an office focused on advocating for gender equality, particularly in equal pay, was targeted for dissolution in Project 2025. Both of these plans were implemented through Executive Order 14151, which asked for a review of all contracts, activities, policies, regulations, etc., to ensure that they “align” with anti-DEI policies, and Executive Order 14148, which dissolved the Gender Policy Council. 

Military Policies and Transgender Rights
Project 2025 prioritized expelling transgender troops from the U.S. military. Additionally, Project 2025 asked to cut funding for gender-affirming care for military members, a policy that harms both active-duty personnel and veterans seeking critical health services. These plans were implemented through Executive Order 14183, which unjustly claimed that “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle” and banned trans and non-binary Americans from enlisting, and paused gender-affirming care to active members and veterans. 

Ending Protections in Adoption and Foster Care
Project 2025 sought to revoke guidance that prohibited adoption and foster care agencies from discriminating against LGBTQ+ individuals or same-sex couples. Trump’s Executive Order 13279, “Establishment of the WH Faith Office,” cited plans to prioritize promoting adoption agencies that partner with faith-based organizations. By prioritizing the placement of children seeking adoption through faith-based organizations, the government is potentially aligning itself with specific religious groups, which would undermine the neutrality the government should hold in not favoring certain religious practices over others. This blurs the crucial line between church and state, setting a precedent where religious views can dictate public policy at the expense of civil rights and the equal treatment of all citizens under the law. 

LGBTQ+ Data Collection and Rights Erosion
Project 2025’s goals include ending data collection on gender identity, which has been a critical tool in understanding and addressing disparities faced by LGBTQ+ communities. Additionally, the removal of the “non-binary” option in civil rights data collection from schools further erodes the recognition of diverse gender identities. These plans were implemented through Executive Order 14168 declaring that there are only two sexes, and school forms are not allowed to offer any other options. This could potentially have disastrous consequences for how the government tracks hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals.

Moving Forward

As we reflect on the beginning of the new administration, we can see how they are using Project 2025 as a template to advance their Christian nationalist agenda. Many of the proposed policies aim to elevate one narrow set of religious beliefs over individual rights, particularly LGBTQ+ rights. 

Interfaith Alliance champions religious freedom and the separation of church and state and believes that these moves directly challenge the core principles of equality. As we continue to monitor these developments, Interfaith Alliance stands firm in its commitment to defending the rights of marginalized groups, combatting authoritarianism, and ensuring that religious freedom is protected for all Americans—regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or faith.

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Rosa Casey-Teeley is a Policy Intern at Interfaith Alliance.