Across courts, statehouses, and school boards, well-funded organizations are working to roll back hard-won rights, often under banners like parental rights and protecting children. At the center is Alliance Defending Freedom, the legal powerhouse behind the Supreme Court’s 303 Creative decision. Watchdogs label it an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group for spreading disinformation, while ADF claims it simply defends religious freedom. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 laid out a federal blueprint to erase protections for queer and trans Americans.
Though Heritage calls it restoring moral order, advocates warn it’s an existential threat, and Trump began implementing it upon returning to office. Longtime actors like the Family Research Council and Liberty Counsel continue pushing biblical values, fighting marriage equality, transgender rights, and bans on conversion therapy. Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver frames the mission as a battle against sexual anarchy. Newer players — including Turning Point USA, Moms for Liberty, and Gays Against Groomers — drive cultural panic through schools, social media, and far-right media.
Their campaigns against drag events, trans youth, and LGBTQ+ visibility have intensified harassment nationwide. Together, these groups form a coordinated movement reshaping U.S. policy — and challenging LGBTQ+ equality at every level of government.
