Supporters of Donald Trump and the Log Cabin Republicans have called him the most LGBTQ friendly president in history. But to many in the queer community, that claim is laughable — and dangerously out of touch with reality, as this so-called LGBTQ loving President has one of the most anti-LGBTQ Cabinets in history.
In Trump’s second administration, his cabinet is stacked with officials whose records on queer rights range from indifferent to outright hostile. These are the people now in charge of our health care, housing, education, and more. At the State Department, Marco Rubio, who once spoke at a rally hosted by a hate group after the Pulse massacre, is erasing gender-nonconforming people from official records and trying to roll back passport gender changes. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered commanders to flag trans troops for review. He once called trans people “dudes in dresses.”
At Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is dismantling queer health care, slashing access to HIV prevention and transition services. Pam Bondi, now Attorney General, once called adoption by LGBTQ people a “serious public harm.” She praised “Don’t Say Gay” laws and fought same-sex marriage in Florida. And at Housing and Urban Development, Scott Turner quietly removed protections for trans people in homeless shelters.
Yes, Trump appointed a gay Treasury Secretary — Scott Bessent — but critics note he’s said nothing about queer poverty or economic inequality. If this is what an “LGBTQ-friendly” president’s cabinet looks like, it’s no wonder the community is sounding the alarm.
