What Does Project 2025 Say About LGBTQ People?

Project 2025, an initiative led by The Heritage Foundation, aims to reshape the federal government, significantly reducing protections for marginalized communities—especially LGBTQ+ individuals. With an extensive 900-page plan, the project seeks to expand presidential powers, shrink the social safety net, and eliminate federal policies that support diversity and inclusion.

Although former President Donald Trump has attempted to distance himself from Project 2025, his allies continue to champion its policies, making it a real and imminent threat to LGBTQ+ rights in America. If implemented, this plan could undo decades of progress, removing legal protections and emboldening discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in various aspects of life.

Erasing LGBTQ+ Protections from Federal Policies

One of Project 2025’s primary goals is to systematically erase LGBTQ+ people from federal recognition. It calls for eliminating the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” from all federal rules, regulations, grants, and legislation. This would strip LGBTQ+ individuals of protections against discrimination, making them more vulnerable in workplaces, schools, healthcare settings, and other public spaces.

By removing these protections, Project 2025 effectively suggests that LGBTQ+ people should not be legally recognized as a distinct group facing discrimination. This move isn’t just symbolic—it sets the stage for legal discrimination under the guise of “returning to traditional values.”

Impact on Workplace Protections

Project 2025 targets workplace protections by narrowing the application of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act—which the Supreme Court ruled in 2020 includes protections for LGBTQ+ workers. Under this plan, workplace protections would be limited only to hiring and firing decisions, meaning LGBTQ+ employees could face harassment and discrimination at work without legal recourse.

Additionally, the initiative directs federal agencies to remove all guidance and policies that enforce anti-discrimination protections based on gender identity or sexual orientation. This rollback could leave LGBTQ+ employees with little to no legal protection against hostile work environments, pay discrimination, or wrongful termination.

Attacks on LGBTQ+ Healthcare

Project 2025 seeks to dismantle protections that ensure LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender individuals, have access to healthcare. Some of the most alarming proposals include:

Revoking protections under the Affordable Care Act that prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.
Defunding gender-affirming care by directing Medicare and Medicaid to deny coverage for transgender healthcare, falsely claiming a lack of scientific evidence.
Restricting reproductive rights, including efforts to eliminate funding for abortion services and medical schools that teach gender-affirming care.

These changes would disproportionately harm transgender individuals who already face significant barriers to accessing safe, necessary medical care. Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, recognize gender-affirming care as medically necessary and potentially lifesaving, making these proposed restrictions dangerous and unethical.

Restricting LGBTQ+ Rights in Education

Schools are another key battleground for Project 2025. The initiative frames LGBTQ+ inclusion in education as a “threat” to children, equating trans visibility with pornography and proposing policies that would criminalize teachers and librarians who provide LGBTQ+ materials.

Key educational rollbacks in Project 2025 include:

Banning LGBTQ+ representation in schools by defining it as “harmful” and restricting access to inclusive materials.
Reversing Title IX protections, which ensure LGBTQ+ students are protected from discrimination in federally funded schools.
Forcing teachers to use students’ birth-assigned names and pronouns, unless they have explicit parental permission.

By labeling LGBTQ+ visibility as dangerous, Project 2025 aims to isolate and stigmatize LGBTQ+ students while silencing educators who support them.

Further Rollbacks: Military, Family, and Global Policies

Project 2025 also targets LGBTQ+ individuals beyond workplaces and schools. Additional proposed rollbacks include:

Banning transgender people from serving in the military, reversing policies that allow them to enlist and serve openly.
Promoting “traditional family structures”, defining a “healthy society” as one that prioritizes heterosexual, married couples while devaluing LGBTQ+ families.
Eliminating federal funding for DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs, impacting not just LGBTQ+ communities but also racial minorities and women.
Stopping U.S. support for pro-LGBTQ+ policies abroad, potentially harming advocacy efforts in countries where LGBTQ+ rights are still under attack.

By pushing these policies, Project 2025 aims to turn back the clock on LGBTQ+ rights, enforcing outdated norms while disregarding the diversity of American society.

Why Project 2025 Will Not Succeed

Despite its aggressive stance, Project 2025 faces significant opposition. The LGBTQ+ community has consistently fought back against discrimination, and public opinion remains on the side of equality. Polls show that the majority of Americans support LGBTQ+ rights, including workplace protections and access to gender-affirming care.

Moreover, advocacy groups, legal organizations, and activists are already mobilizing to challenge the policies outlined in Project 2025. By raising awareness, challenging discriminatory laws in court, and advocating for inclusive policies, LGBTQ+ allies and organizations can stop this agenda from becoming reality.

Ultimately, love and resilience will always be stronger than fear and hate. The fight for equality continues, and Project 2025 will not erase the progress made by generations of activists.

Standing Strong Against Project 2025

Project 2025 represents a dangerous attempt to dismantle LGBTQ+ rights, but history has shown that the power of advocacy, visibility, and community will always push back against oppression. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to stay informed, speak out, and support organizations that protect LGBTQ+ individuals.

For more information on how you can take action, consider visiting organizations like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) or ACLU, which continue to fight for LGBTQ+ rights nationwide.