The mission to create a education facility rich in the history of LGBTQI+ is in motion. The curators behind the planned American Queer Museum have spent four years fundraising for the project. Museum executive director Ben Garcia has witnessed an increase in hostility after US President Donald Trump’s first term. After his return on January 20th, Trump ordered the termination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. It greatly impacted various ethnic groups, workplaces, and inclusive support groups, including the LGBTQ+ community. And now, his administration plans to wipe their development history from associated facilities.

America’s Identity Crisis with LGBTQI+

For decades, the US has struggled to decide whether to accept gender identification and sexual orientation. That includes educating future generations to understand and develop it into a social norm. Since World War II, there were gay men and lesbian women who served in the US military while secretly having same-sex relationships.

Then, in 1945, Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy sent manhunts to search for suspected communists, known as The Red Scare. Simultaneously, he also ordered to hunt down homosexuals as he firmly believed it was part of the communist agenda. This act of fear-mongering became The Lavender Scare. While the senator had captured actual spies who infiltrated the State Department, McCarthy’s tactic became an emotional weapon. Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower damaged his presidency by not attempting to halt his manhunts.

LGBTQI+ discrimination continued during the Civil Rights Movement. One of the pioneers behind this was Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray, a multiracial Black activist and LGBTQ+ scholar. Back in the 1930s, Dr. Murray changed their original name, Anna Pauline. Scholars believed they were either non-binary or gender-fluid, as they used both “she” and “he” pronouns. Due to his/her identification, Dr. Murray was denied access to gender-affirmation care.

She/He experienced a lack of support from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Yet Dr. Murray’s various magazine publications attracted the general public and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, making her one of the earliest American allies of the LGBTQI+ community. They developed their friendship during Dr. Murray’s letter-writing campaign at the University of North Carolina (UNC). She/He later studied law at Howard University, publishing States’ Laws on Race and Color in 1950. Its educational teachings became vital in the ruling of Brown v. the Board of Education, which aimed to end school segregation.

On June 28, 1969, a police raid on the Stonewall Inn’s gay bar triggered LGBTQI+ individuals into rebellion. New York at the time had their sexuality a criminal offense. It also didn’t help that most of these bars were under mafia ownership. Due to Stonewall’s popularity with its clientele, the landmark became an easy target for abusive officers. The Stonewall Uprising inspired organizations and protest leaders to push for their civil rights over time. Stonewall became recognized as a gay landmark in 2000 thanks to their efforts.

Eleanor’s sexuality later came into question when her 3,500 letters were discovered by archivists in 1978. Within those letters were conversations between her and journalist Lorena Hickok during their 30-year relationship. Historian Rodger Streitmatter transcribed 300 letters and published the collection Empty Without You in 2000. Eleanor’s letters attracted scholars to debate about her bisexuality.

These historical figures and events speak a fraction of America’s LGBTQI+ history. Unfortunately, teaching about the community’s progression for their rights is considered either inappropriate or saved for college social studies. Today, the nation sees history repeating itself during President Trump’s 2nd term.

Trump Endangering LGBTQI+ Rights

After winning the 2024 Presidential Election, Trump sent out numerous executive orders, including halting DEI programs on Inauguration Day. His administration described spending on these organizations as “wasteful.” This action also promoted hostility towards various ethnic groups and support organizations.

The LGBTQI+ community faces a new age of discrimination. The first objective is to erase mentions of queer and transgender history from various landmarks, including Stonewall. He then reverted the gender identification protocol to only male and female.

Health clinics in certain states have rejected minors with their established gender identities (androgynous, gender-fluid, and transgender) from gender-affirmation care for hormonal therapy and medications. The William Institute previously addressed the issue back in August 2024. Of the affected youths, 39.4% identified as transgender and live in states that decline health services to them. Tennessee takes it further by banning their rights altogether. The Los Angeles Times reported on June 18 the outcome of US v. Skrmetti, with the majority of the Supreme Court favoring the state’s decision and believing it to be constitutional.

President Trump endorsed an additional order targeting US military transgender individuals. Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness, established on January 27, 2025, prevented anyone who openly identified from participating in the US Army, Air Force, and Navy. The administration states these individuals are “false identity gender divergents.” PBS News informed the US public on May 8 that the Pentagon used it to dismiss 1,000 openly identified troops.

LGBTQI+ Leaders Fighting to Preserve

After experiencing the first half of 2025, historians and activists stand strong. American Queer Museum and other LGBTQI+ facilities are now in peril since their funding has been paused. Garcia said that Trump ending the DEI has scared many of their corporate partners. He’s expecting a 3% investment to help the project. He wanted the museum to teach the American adults and youths about the nation’s history of queer identities.

Then, he refers to how the US government reacted during the 1980s HIV/AIDS pandemic. “Because of [our ancestors’] queer identities,” he told Fast Company, “many died as the government did not tend to their needs.” Lesbian Herstory Archives coordinator Morgan Gwenwald acknowledges the similarities between LGBTQI+ past and present through the nation’s current leadership. She says, “We worked really hard to recognize the people who’ve come before and what they’ve done. You have to understand that it is connected to where we are now.”

Carla Smith, CEO of the LGBT Community Center, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have been cooperating with Lambda Legal since Trump’s re-election. They continue to survey and challenge his administration’s actions against the community. “We believed it was our responsibility to make sure we took a stand against what we feel is injustice,” Smith said.