Rise & Resilience

As of April 25, 2025, the LGBTQ+ community in the United States continues to navigate a complicated landscape—one that’s marked by both renewed resistance and meaningful victories.

One of the most significant updates this month came from the Pentagon. After a federal court ruled that Defense Secretary

Pete Hegseth’s restrictions on gender-affirming healthcare were unconstitutional, the Department of Defense confirmed it would resume gender-affirming care for transgender service members. This includes surgeries, hormone therapy, and counseling—vital services for the well-being and dignity of over 1,000 active troops. This decision represents more than just a policy reversal; it's a reminder that trans people have the right to exist and serve openly, without having their healthcare politicized.

But this win doesn’t come in isolation. Across the country, the legislative landscape tells a different story. So far in 2025, over 860 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures—an all-time high. Many of these bills specifically target transgender individuals: over 120 seek to ban gender-affirming care, and 77 propose restrictions on bathroom access based on gender identity. These laws don’t just sit on paper. They embolden harassment, surveillance, and even arrests of trans people simply trying to exist in public spaces.

Amid this wave of anti-trans legislation, community organizations and cultural institutions are stepping up. Frameline, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ+ film festival, is launching a “pay-it-forward” campaign to send trans and nonbinary attendees to the premiere of Heightened Scrutiny—a documentary following ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio’s battle against Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for youth. In doing so, Frameline isn’t just showing films—they’re building space, lifting up queer voices, and refusing to let visibility be erased.

The LGBTQ+ community in America continues to face systemic attacks, but what’s equally undeniable is the resilience and power of that community. From courtrooms to film festivals, from the military to the streets, queer and trans people are demanding not just to survive—but to thrive.

Let this moment serve as both a warning and a call to action:

rights are never guaranteed unless we fight to protect them.