As the United States and Australia grapple with a wave of legislation, court battles, and cultural clashes over transgender rights, the stories of activists, lawmakers, and communities on both sides of the debate reveal a landscape fraught with tension, resilience, and profound change.
On October 13, 2025, the LGBTQ community lost one of its most enduring and beloved figures: Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. Known affectionately as “Mama” to generations of activists, Griffin-Gracy died at her home in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the age of 83. Her passing was announced by the Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat and Historical Center, or House of gg, which she founded in 2019 to provide a haven for Black trans people and movement leaders in the South. As Washington Blade reported, Griffin-Gracy’s activism spanned more than half a century, from her early days at the Stonewall Inn in 1969—where she witnessed the police raid that ignited the modern LGBTQ rights movement—to her tireless work supporting incarcerated trans women and those living with HIV/AIDS.
“Miss Major’s fierce commitment and intersectional approach to justice brought her to care directly for people with HIV/AIDS in New York in the early 1980s and later to drive San Francisco’s first mobile needle exchange,” House of gg said in a statement. David Johns, CEO of the National Black Justice Collective, credited her with creating space for “the most powerful and most marginalized members of our community.” Even in her final year, Griffin-Gracy was vocal in her support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, telling Washington Blade that she planned “to go to every place Trump goes and speak to the tender loving people in those places and tell them what a liar he is and how insane he is.” Yet, as she often reminded interviewers, her fight was never just about politics: “I want things to be better for all of us. You know, transgender and non transgender people.”
Her death comes at a time when transgender rights are once again at the center of legal and political battles in both the United States and abroad. In Australia, the High Court recently upheld a decision to refuse a visa to American commentator Candace Owens, who had planned a speaking tour in November 2024. According to QNews, Immigration Minister Tony Burke denied Owens entry on the grounds that she could “incite discord in almost every direction,” referencing her inflammatory statements about the Holocaust, Muslims, and the trans rights movement, which she has called “clinically insane” and “one of the most dangerous” things ever. Owens’ lawyers argued that the refusal placed an “impermissible burden” on the implied right to freedom of political communication, but the High Court found that this implied freedom is not a personal right and that the decision was justified in the interest of social cohesion. “Inciting discord might be the way some people make money, but it’s not welcome in Australia,” Burke told The Guardian.
The Australian debate over transgender inclusion has also reached the prison system. On October 15, 2025, the Northern Territory became the first jurisdiction in the country to bar transgender women from female prisons, mandating that those born male be housed in men’s facilities. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro described the move as “common sense,” citing correspondence from the conservative think tank Women’s Forum Australia, which argued that allowing trans women in women’s prisons posed a safety risk. The policy was praised by conservative groups but condemned by justice advocates and LGBTQ organizations. Alastair Lawrie of the Justice and Equity Centre called the decision “discriminatory and wrong,” arguing that “trans women are women and should be in women’s prisons.” He added, “Prisons should manage risk based on individual assessments, not political intervention.”
These developments reflect a broader international trend. In the United States, the Supreme Court’s new term is poised to shape the future of transgender rights, with cases on the docket that address sports participation, conversion therapy bans, and bathroom access. As Los Angeles Blade reports, the Court will consider West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, both of which challenge state laws barring transgender girls from participating in school sports teams that match their gender identity. The outcomes could have sweeping implications for Title IX protections and the Equal Protection Clause. Joshua Block of the ACLU noted, “Some of the lower courts are actually holding their cases pending BPJ,” underscoring the national significance of the rulings.
Meanwhile, Chiles v. Salazar will test whether states can ban conversion therapy for minors without infringing on free speech rights. LGBTQ advocates warn that overturning these bans would undermine bipartisan progress and expose vulnerable youth to practices condemned by every major medical association. “The law here is really quite narrow, aimed at a very specific, specific prohibition,” explained Josh Rovenger of GLAD Law. “Multiple states which have bipartisan laws that were passed with widespread support… would potentially be invalidated as a result of that type of decision.”
Legal and political attacks on transgender and LGBTQ rights are not limited to the courts. President Donald Trump’s second term has seen a raft of executive actions and policy changes, including a directive barring military health coverage for transgender-related care and an executive order redefining “sex” across all federal policies as a fixed, binary category determined at conception. State legislatures have followed suit, with bills proliferating that restrict gender-affirming care not only for minors but also for adults, bar trans people from updating identification documents, and even seek to challenge marriage equality. The ACLU tracked 533 anti-LGBTQ bills in 2024 and had already logged 339 by February 2025, with measures appearing in both conservative and traditionally liberal states.
Against this backdrop, the LGBTQ community has rallied at events like the 29th annual United States Conference on HIV/AIDS. There, speakers such as Dr. Anthony Fauci and basketball legend Magic Johnson emphasized the importance of continued advocacy, even as proposed federal budget cuts threaten to gut HIV prevention and care programs. “We got to pull ourselves together and continue this fight, because it’s important and we got to keep this at the forefront,” Johnson urged attendees. Dr. Rachel Levine, the first out transgender person confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Assistant Secretary of Health, lamented the impact of funding cuts and layoffs on the HIV care workforce, calling for renewed support in “these challenging times.”
Yet, the threats are not only legislative. The assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, moments after he made derogatory remarks about transgender people, sent shockwaves through the nation. President Trump’s decision to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom has further polarized the debate. LGBTQ leaders, while condemning the violence, also pointed to the dangers of rhetoric that demonizes marginalized communities. Kelley Robinson of the Human Rights Campaign stated, “Political violence is unacceptable and has no place in this country… But spending your life, inciting violence, demonizing political opponents? Attacking those who are different? Every bit as wrong.”
In this moment of uncertainty and struggle, the life and legacy of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy stand as a testament to the power of perseverance and community. As David Johns put it, “Her spirit will continue to guide us as we fight for a world where every Black trans person can thrive and live a joy-filled life.” The battles over trans rights, healthcare, and social acceptance are far from over, but the voices of those who have fought for decades remind us that history bends toward justice—however long the arc may be.