On October 16, 2025, a flurry of legal, political, and grassroots activity swept across the United States, underscoring the precarious state of LGBTQ+ rights in the country. From the Supreme Court’s consideration of conversion therapy bans to the launch of Lambda Legal’s urgent “All Rise” fundraising campaign, the struggle for equality has entered a new, critical phase. The stakes have rarely been higher, as the second Trump administration continues to roll back protections and embolden opposition to LGBTQ+ rights.
According to Law.com, President Donald Trump’s latest executive actions have had a profound effect on the lives of transgender and non-binary people. These policies include restricting access to transgender health care, banning trans individuals from serving openly in the military, and officially recognizing only two sexes—male and female. The publication notes that these moves have forced lawyers advocating for the LGBTQ+ community to adapt their legal strategies rapidly, as the landscape shifts beneath their feet.
Lambda Legal, the nation’s oldest and largest legal organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ and HIV-affected communities, has responded by launching a national fundraising campaign, “All Rise.” In partnership with Accompany Creative—an agency recognized as Purpose-led Small Agency of the Year by Ad Age in 2024—Lambda Legal is rallying support to combat what it calls a “staggering number of encroachments on civil rights.” The campaign is not just a plea for donations; it’s a call for unity, resilience, and action at a time when hard-won legal protections, from marriage equality to trans rights and HIV prevention, are under unprecedented threat.
“All Rise” was conceived as both an imperative to the embattled LGBTQ+ community and a reference to the language of the courtroom. The campaign features video content starring real community members—trans military members, youth, people living with HIV, elders, and families—whose lives are directly impacted by the current wave of discriminatory policies. Lambda Legal attorneys narrate these stories, grounding the campaign in both legal expertise and lived experience. The media rollout, which began in mid-October and coincides with LGBTQ+ History Month, is strategically targeted at donors most affected by the rollback of civil rights, drawing inspiration from the LGBTQ+ community’s history of overcoming adversity through collective action.
Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal, made the stakes clear: “The attacks on our community are happening at every level. In the last four years, every state has had an anti-LGBTQ+ bill introduced and 230 have become law in 27 states—more than half the country. Lambda Legal is fighting back in 24 states and at the federal level. We are the LGBTQ+ community’s last line of defense. During the first Trump administration, Lambda Legal sued to block his executive orders and policies—and won 86% of the time. So far in the second Trump administration, we have filed 6 suits and notched 4 victories, with 2 still pending. We are used to tough fights and we know how to win them. I want to make it clear to everyone in our community—Lambda Legal has your back.”
The legal battles are not confined to the executive branch. The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in Chiles v. Salazar, a case challenging Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy—a widely discredited practice aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. As reported by the Los Angeles Blade, the conservative majority on the Court appeared inclined to strike down the ban, a move that could undermine protections in 27 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and numerous municipalities. The implications are enormous: conversion therapy has been scientifically proven to increase depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation, and is condemned by every major medical and public health organization.
Adrian Shanker, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy in the Biden administration, wrote in the Los Angeles Blade that this case is fundamentally about medical ethics, not free speech. “Conversion therapy is not free speech. Perpetuating medical harm is not free speech. Healthcare providers are welcome to hold and share opinions in the public square, that is free speech. But when they share information in a clinical environment to their patients, there is an expectation that they share evidence-based information. This is basic medical ethics. This is ‘do no harm.’” Shanker recounted significant policy work during the Biden administration to prevent conversion therapy from being inflicted on youth in foster care and homeless shelters, emphasizing the clear and unquestionable evidence of harm associated with the practice.
While the courts and legislatures battle over policy, the streets have come alive with activism and solidarity. Last weekend, over 36,000 people gathered in downtown Los Angeles for the “Fighting the Oligarchy” rally, where trans rights and immigration rights took center stage. The rally was a vibrant stand against authoritarianism, economic exploitation, and targeted hatred. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led chants of “Trans rights are human rights!” and called for radical solidarity. Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd, “We must acknowledge the terrifying moment that we are in right now. People we love are being targeted and harassed for being trans or queer. We have to stand together. Hate is a trap that sinks us all.” Sanders added, “We’re going to make our revolution with joy… Your presence here today is making Donald Trump and Elon Musk very nervous.”
Representative Pramila Jayapal, a progressive leader and mother of a trans daughter, spoke about the deep connection between attacks on trans people and the broader goal of consolidating power. “They want absolute power. They want power to control who we are. They are afraid. My daughter said this to me: ‘Mom, they’re afraid that we are truly free, and they don’t know how to deal with that.’” Jayapal also highlighted the scapegoating of trans people, noting, “Trans kids didn’t hike your rent. Billionaires and private equity did. Trans kids didn’t take away your healthcare. Private, for-profit insurance companies and billionaires did. Trans kids didn’t raise the price of your groceries. Billionaires did that.”
Meanwhile, cities and states are stepping up as bulwarks against federal rollbacks. The Advocate reported that Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco, Sacramento, and West Hollywood have all declared themselves LGBTQ sanctuary cities, joining others across the nation. These declarations, while sometimes dismissed as symbolic, have real consequences: they prevent local resources from being used to prosecute or punish LGBTQ people seeking gender-affirming care and set precedents for broader state and national protections. In November 2024, Californians voted to update their state constitution to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages, cementing progress at a time when federal protections are under threat.
Lambda Legal’s “All Rise” campaign, the Supreme Court’s pending decision on conversion therapy, and the groundswell of public protest all point to a nation at a crossroads. The outcome of these battles will determine whether the United States continues to move toward equality or slides backward into discrimination and exclusion. For now, the message from advocates and allies is clear: the fight is far from over, and the community is not backing down.
