President Donald Trump became famous for his use of the phrase “You’re fired!” while hosting the reality TV show “The Apprentice” in the early 2000s. However, during his time in the Oval Office, he has attempted to distance himself from that image.

Despite those efforts, the phrase once again comes to mind as Trump has fired two high-level female Cabinet members within the past month: Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem.

Their replacements — Todd Blanche at the Justice Department and Markwayne Mullin at the Department of Homeland Security — bring records that, while different in depth, both reflect limited support for LGBTQ+ protections and, in some cases, direct opposition.

Todd Blanche

Acting attorney general

Little has been found regarding Todd Blanche’s LGBTQ+ history prior to his role as acting head of the Department of Justice. Unlike those who have worked within the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division or served as state attorneys general, he has not developed a public-facing legal ideology on LGBTQ+ issues.

Blanche attended American University for his undergraduate studies — like fellow Trump attorney Michael Cohen — where he met his future wife, Kristin, who was studying at nearby Catholic University in D.C.

He began his legal career as an intern at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, which eventually became a full-time position. He later worked as a paralegal in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York while attending Brooklyn Law School at night. Blanche graduated cum laude in 2003. He and his wife later married and had two children.

Blanche left the U.S. attorney’s office in 2014, taking a job in the Manhattan office of the law firm WilmerHale. In September 2017, he moved to Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where he was a partner in the White Collar Defense and Investigations practice.

In his personal capacity, he represented several figures associated with Donald Trump and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, including Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort, businessman Igor Fruman, and attorney Boris Epshteyn.

In 2024, Blanche switched from Democrat to Republican, aligning himself with Trump’s political orbit. He later served as Trump’s personal defense attorney in the New York State case that led to Trump’s 2024 conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to bisexual adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Now the highest-ranking official at the Justice Department, Blanche has played a central role in overseeing the department and has been involved in leadership decisions tied to several controversial actions affecting LGBTQ+ people.

In a letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James, Blanche declared that the Justice Department “will not sit idly by while you attempt to use your office to force harmful procedures on our most vulnerable population,” if legal action were taken against NYU Langone. The hospital had “permanently” ended a program earlier that month after the Trump-Vance administration threatened to pull all federal funding if it continued prescribing puberty blockers and hormones to minors.

Blanche wrote that “the Justice Department believes the law is clear, and anti-discrimination laws cannot be used to force NYU Langone to perform sex-rejecting procedures on children.”

“As just one example, your office’s position would require a hospital to prescribe certain medications for certain diagnoses, regardless of the hospital’s or its doctors’ independent medical determination about the propriety of such treatment,” he said.

Blanche also echoed his predecessor’s public stance on limiting LGBTQ+-related protections at the federal level, aligning with Bondi’s sentiments in June 2025 regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6–3 decision that restricted LGBTQ+ history lessions in schools and limits lower federal courts from issuing nationwide injunctions — rulings that have often blocked Trump administration policies.

Calling it “another great decision that came down today,” Blanche argued that the ruling “restores parents’ rights to decide their child’s education,” adding: “It seems like a basic idea, but it took the Supreme Court to set the record straight, and we thank them for that. And now that ruling allows parents to opt out of dangerous trans ideology and make the decisions for their children that they believe is correct.”

In December 2025, a Justice Department memo stated that, “effective immediately,” prisons and jails would no longer be held responsible for violations of standards meant to protect LGBTQ+ people from harassment, abuse, and rape under the Prison Rape Elimination Act. The law, passed unanimously by Congress in 2003, requires that incarcerated people be screened for their risk of sexual assault, including consideration of LGBTQ+ status, and applies to all correctional facilities.

Additionally, when the Justice Department, under Blanche’s deputy leadership and at Trump’s behest, attempted to force Children’s National Hospital in D.C. to turn over medical records related to gender-affirming care, U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin ruled that the effort “appears to have no purpose other than to intimidate and harass.”

Blanche is also described as having a “strong belief in executive authority.”

Markwayne Mullin

Secretary of Homeland Security

While Blanche’s record is defined more by recent actions than a long paper trail, Markwayne Mullin brings a more established history on LGBTQ+ issues from his time in Congress.

The head of the Department of Homeland Security has served in Congress since 2013, in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. He has been actively engaged in shaping restrictions and aligns with broader cultural rhetoric that frames anti-LGBTQ+ speech as protected expression.

In May 2016, Mullin criticized the Department of Education and the Justice Department’s “Dear Colleague” letter on transgender students, arguing that trans girls should not use girls’ restrooms in public schools.

By January 2021, Mullin and then-Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard had introduced a bill to prevent trans women from participating in women’s sports.

Mullin was not recorded as voting on the final passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriage.

In 2023, Mullin received a rating of just 6 percent from the Human Rights Campaign.

While serving in the Senate and as a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Mullin has been a vocal critic of policies aimed at expanding LGBTQ+ inclusion in federal programs. He has participated in broader Republican efforts questioning equity-based implementation of the Older Americans Act, including guidance related to sexual orientation and gender identity in aging services, arguing such policies could have unintended consequences.

Mullin also makes history as the first Native American — and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation — to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

He was among the 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results despite no evidence of widespread fraud, and was present in the House on Jan. 6.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a bill that reopens the federal government.

Six Democrats — U.S. Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Adam Gray (D-Calif.), Don Davis (D-N.C.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) — voted for the funding bill that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Two Republicans — Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Greg Steube (R-Fla.) — opposed it.

The 43-day shutdown is over after eight Democratic senators gave in to Republicans’ push to roll back parts of the Affordable Care Act. According to CNBC, the average ACA recipient could see premiums more than double in 2026, and about one in 10 enrollees could lose a premium tax credit altogether.

These eight senators — U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) — sided with Republicans to pass legislation reopening the government for a set number of days. They emphasized that their primary goal was to reopen the government, with discussions about ACA tax credits to continue afterward.

None of the senators who supported the deal are up for reelection.

King said on Sunday night that the Senate deal represents “a victory” because it gives Democrats “an opportunity” to extend ACA tax credits, now that Senate Republican leaders have agreed to hold a vote on the issue in December. (The House has not made any similar commitment.)

The government’s reopening also brought a win for Democrats’ other priorities: Arizona Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva was sworn in after a record-breaking delay in swearing in, eventually becoming the 218th signer of a discharge petition to release the Epstein files.

This story is being updated as more information becomes available.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Wednesday announced it now only “recognizes two biological sexes, male and female.”

A press release notes this change to its policies is “consistent with” the “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” executive order that President Donald Trump signed shortly after he took office for the second time on Jan. 20.

“There are only two sexes — male and female,” said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. “President Trump promised the American people a revolution of common sense, and that includes making sure that the policy of the U.S. government agrees with simple biological reality.”

“Proper management of our immigration system is a matter of national security, not a place to promote and coddle an ideology that permanently harms children and robs real women of their dignity, safety, and well-being,” she added.

The press release notes USCIS “considers a person’s sex as that which is generally evidenced on the birth certificate issued at or nearest to the time of birth.”

“If the birth certificate issued at or nearest to the time of birth indicates a sex other than male or female, USCIS will base the determination of sex on secondary evidence,” it reads.

The USCIS Policy Manuel defines “secondary evidence” as “evidence that may demonstrate a fact is more likely than not true, but the evidence does not derive from a primary, authoritative source.”

“Records maintained by religious or faith-based organizations showing that a person was divorced at a certain time are an example of secondary evidence of the divorce,” it says.

USCIS in its press release notes it “will not deny benefits solely because the benefit requestor did not properly indicate his or her sex.”

“This is a cruel and unnecessary policy that puts transgender, nonbinary, and intersex immigrants in danger,” said Immigration Equality Law and Policy Director Bridget Crawford on Wednesday. “The U.S. government is now forcing people to carry identity documents that do not reflect who they are, opening them up to increased discrimination, harassment, and violence. This policy does not just impact individuals — it affects their ability to travel, work, access healthcare, and live their lives authentically.”  

“By denying trans people the right to self-select their gender, the government is making it harder for them to exist safely and with dignity,” added Crawford. “This is not about ‘common sense’—it is about erasing an entire community from the legal landscape. Transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people have always existed, and they deserve to have their identities fully recognized and respected. We will continue to fight for the rights of our clients and for the reversal of this discriminatory policy.” 

An email sent to employees at the U.S. Department of Education on Friday explains that “programs, contracts, policies, outward-facing media, regulations, and internal practices” will be reviewed and cut in cases where they “fail to affirm the reality of biological sex.”

The move, which is of a piece with President Donald Trump’s executive orders restricting transgender rights, jeopardizes the future of initiatives at the agency like mental health services and support for students experiencing homelessness.

Along with external-facing work at the agency, the directive targets employee programs such as those administered by LGBTQ+ resource groups, in keeping with the Trump-Vance administration’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the federal government.

In recent weeks, federal agencies had begun changing their documents, policies, and websites for purposes of compliance with the new administration’s first executive action targeting the trans community, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”

For instance, the Education Department had removed a webpage offering tips for schools to better support homeless LGBTQ+ youth, noted ProPublica, which broke the news of the “sweeping” changes announced in the email to DOE staff.

According to the news service, the directive further explains the administration’s position that “The deliberate subjugation of women and girls by means of gender ideology — whether in intimate spaces, weaponized language, or American classrooms — negated the civil rights of biological females and fostered distrust of our federal institutions.”

A U.S. Senate committee hearing will be held Thursday for Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee for education secretary, who has been criticized by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. GLAAD, for instance, notes that she helped to launch and currently chairs the board of a conservative think tank that “has campaigned against policies that support transgender rights in education.”

NBC News reported on Tuesday that Trump planned to issue an executive order this week to abolish the Education Department altogether.

While the president and his conservative allies in and outside the administration have repeatedly expressed plans to disband the agency, doing so would require approval from Congress.

The Associated Press reports that more than a dozen races for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, including 10 for congressional districts in California, remain too close to call as of Tuesday — a full week after voters cast their ballots on Nov. 5.

Democrats hope that if they can flip the lower chamber, which is now governed by a narrow Republican majority, it might function as a bulwark against President-elect Donald Trump, his incoming administration, and the 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate that his party secured last week.

If, on the other hand, the GOP retains control of the House, the Republican victory would clear a major roadblock that could otherwise have stymied a major plank of Trump’s education agenda: Plans to permanently shutter the U.S. Department of Education.

Congress ultimately scuttled the former president’s effort to do so during his first administration — though, technically, the proposal then was to merge the agency with the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Wall Street Journal notes that some Republicans, at the time and in the years since, have come out against plans to abolish the 44-year-old agency, in some cases even objecting to major funding cuts proposed by Trump that they understood were likely be unpopular.

However, if the second term plans for DOE as delineated in the Trump campaign’s Agenda47 and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 governing blueprint become a major policy priority once the incoming administration takes over in January, reluctant Republican lawmakers will face tremendous pressure to get out of Trump’s way.

Federal government will remain in schools to advance anti-trans, anti-woke agenda

Among other responsibilities, DOE disburses and manages student loans, enforces the civil rights laws in public schools, and provides funding for students with disabilities. The agency’s programs, such as Title I, offer assistance for low-achieving or high-poverty K-12 schools, while Pell Grants help undergraduates who otherwise would not be able to pay for college.

It is unclear whether or how those functions will continue if the DOE is disbanded.

Trump’s aim, at least in large part, is to give states — rather than the federal government — the ultimate say over how their schools are run. At the same time, perhaps paradoxically, the other cornerstone of his education policy agenda is to issue proscriptive rules governing the content, curricula, and classroom discussion that will be permitted in the country’s public schools.

Specifically, this means “critical race theory, gender ideology or other inappropriate racial, sexual or political” topics or materials are forbidden. Reasonable people are likely to disagree about what is and is not “inappropriate,” and they may well have different, even disparate, definitions for terms like “gender ideology.”

When Florida and other states enacted similar anti-LGBTQ content and curricular restrictions in their public schools, critics warned the ambiguous language in the statute and the resulting confusion would lead to censorship, or perhaps self-censorship, especially for students and staff who, by virtue of their skin color or sexual orientation or gender identity, are more likely to be targeted with targeted or overzealous enforcement in the first place.

DOE plays major role investigating alleged civil rights violations in schools

According to the National Education Association, “federal civil rights laws prohibit school boards and other employers from discriminating against or harassing staff or students based on their sexual orientation or gender identity,” which “means, for example, that a school district may not prohibit only LGBTQ+ educators from answering students’ questions about their families, may not prohibit recognition and discussion in class only of LGBTQ+ families, and may not require that only LGBTQ+ students hide their sexual orientation or gender identity at school.”

However, the NEA warns, “some school districts, administrators, and the Florida Department of Education may nonetheless choose to do so until a court orders otherwise.”

If officials at a public high school allow heterosexual teachers to display family photos in their classrooms but warn the openly gay teacher that he must put his away or be terminated for violating restrictions on in-school discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, the manner in which the policy was enforced against him would presumably run afoul of the federal civil rights laws, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

The teacher could assume the expense of hiring an attorney to pursue legal remedies, shouldering the burden and the risk that litigation that could drag on for months and conclude with a judgment in favor of his employer. Alternatively, until or unless Trump dissolves the agency, he could file a complaint with DOE’s Office of Civil Rights.

Alternatively, until or unless Trump dissolves the agency, the teacher could file a complaint with DOE. The agency’s Office of Civil Rights would evaluate the information he shared to determine whether there were sufficient grounds to open an investigation and, if so, would deploy “a variety of fact-finding techniques” that can include a review of documentary evidence submitted by both parties, interviews with key witnesses, and site visits.

After the investigation is complete, if a “preponderance of the evidence supports a conclusion that the recipient failed to comply with the law,” OCR will attempt to negotiate a resolution agreement. If the recipient refuses to resolve the matter in this manner, OCR can “suspend, terminate, or refuse to grant or continue federal financial assistance to the recipient, or may refer the case to the Department of Justice.”

According to the DOE’s website, the agency has 11,782 investigations that were open as of Tuesday, with complaints against institutions of all kinds operating in all 50 states, from rural elementary schools in the Deep South to prestigious medical schools, community colleges, and charter schools for students with developmental disabilities. Likewise, the six civil rights laws over which OCR has jurisdiction cover a wide range of conduct, from sexual harassment to discrimination, retaliation, and single-sex athletics scholarships.

Should Trump succeed in abolishing the department, it is not yet clear how those active investigations will be handled, nor how complaints about violations of civil rights law by educational institutions would be reported and investigated moving forward in the agency’s absence.

During his first administration, Trump passed proposed changes to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which retooled the process for reporting sexual assault on college campuses in ways that were widely seen as imbalanced in favor of the accused.

President Joe Biden in April issued new guidelines that featured “significant shifts in how institutions address sexual harassment, and assault allegations while expanding protections for LGBTQ+ and pregnant students,” the American Council on Education wrote. Specifically, the administration provided a “new definition of sexual harassment, extending jurisdiction to off-campus, and international incidents,” while “clarifying protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, and parenting status.”

The regulations sidestepped thornier questions, however, about how schools should approach issues at the intersection of gender identity and competitive sports, specifying only that they should avoid bans that would categorically prohibit transgender athletes from participating.

Shortly after the Biden administration’s guidelines were introduced, Trump vowed they would be “terminated” on his first day in office. He also pledged to enact anti-trans policies that appear to have been modeled after some of the most extreme of the roughly 1,600 anti-trans bills that conservative statehouses have proposed from 2021-2024.

Among other promises Trump made during the campaign were plans to enact a nationwide ban on trans student athletes competing in accordance with their gender identity, a federal law that would recognize only two genders, and the prosecution of health care providers who administer gender affirming care to patients younger than 18.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday announced the Pentagon has upgraded the paperwork of more than 800 veterans who were discharged other than honorably before discriminatory policies like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” were repealed.

“More than 96 percent of the individuals who were administratively separated under DADT and who served for long enough to receive a merit-based characterization of service now have an honorable characterization of service,” said Christa Specht, director of legal policy at the department’s Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

The change will allow veterans to access benefits they had been denied, in areas from health care and college tuition assistance to VA loan programs and some jobs.

Separately, this summer President Joe Biden issued pardons to service members who had been convicted for sodomy before military laws criminalizing same-sex intimacy were lifted.

More than a decade after the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the administration has made a priority of helping LGBTQ+ veterans who are eligible to upgrade their discharge papers, directing the department to help them overcome bureaucratic barriers and difficult-to-navigate processes.

However, as noted by CBS News, which documented the challenges faced by these former service members in a comprehensive investigation published last year, these efforts are ongoing.

The department is continuing to review cases beyond the 800+ included in Tuesday’s announcement, with an official telling CBS, “We encourage all veterans who believe they have suffered an error or injustice to request a correction to their military records.” 

WASHINGTON — The Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Rachel Levine of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Administrator Isabel Guzman of the U.S. Small Business Administration toured two LGBTQ-owned small businesses on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. — Big Gay Smiles and Price Medical, accompanied by the Washington Blade.

The event provided an “amazing opportunity” to “talk about the different synergies in terms of small businesses and the SBA, and health equity for many communities,” including the LGBTQ community, Levine told the Blade.

Representation matters, she said, adding, “that’s true in dental care and medical care,” where there is a tremendous need to push for improvements in health equity — which represents a major focus for HHS under her and Secretary Xavier Becerra’s leadership, and in the Biden-Harris administration across the board.

“Small businesses identify needs in communities,” Guzman said. With Big Gay Smiles, Dr. Robert McKernan and his husband Tyler Dougherty “have clearly identified a need” for “dentistry that is inclusive and that is respectful of the LGBTQIA community in particular.”

She added, “now that they’re a newly established business, part of the small business boom in the Biden-Harris administration, to see their growth and trajectory, it’s wonderful to know that there are going to be providers out there providing that missing support.”

The practice, founded in 2021, “is so affirming for the LGBTQIA community and we certainly wish them luck with their venture and they seem to have a great start,” Levine said. “They’re really dedicated to ending the HIV epidemic, providing excellent dental care, as well as oral cancer screenings, which are so important, and they’re really providing a real service to the community.”

Big Gay Smiles donates 10 percent of its revenue to national and local HIV/AIDS nonprofits. McKernan and Dougherty stressed that their business is committed to combatting homophobia and anti-LGBTQ attitudes and practices within the dental field more broadly.

“We try to align our practices here within this dental office to align with the strategic initiatives being able to help reduce HIV transmission, reduce stigma, and help to ensure people have the knowledge and [are] empowered to ensure that they’re safe,” Dougherty said.

McKernan added, “With the Academy of General Dentistry, we’ve done a lot of discussions around intersex, around trans affirming care, in order to help educate our fellow dental providers. It’s very important that every dentist here in the [D.C. area] provide trans affirming care and gender affirming care because it’s very important that someone who comes to a medical provider not be deadnamed, not get misnamed, and have an affirming environment.”

Trans and gender expansive communities face barriers to accessing care and are at higher risk for oral cancer, depression, and dental neglect. Levine, who is the country’s highest-ranking transgender government official, shared that she has encountered discrimination in dental offices.

After touring the office, Levine and McKernan discussed the persistence of discrimination against patients living with HIV/AIDS by dental practices, despite the fact that this conduct is illegal.

“I’ve traveled around the country,” the assistant health secretary told the Blade. “We have seen that many FQHCs [federally qualified health centers] or community health centers as well as LGBTQIA community health centers have had dentists, like Whitman-Walker, to provide that care because many people with HIV and in our broader community have faced stigma and have not been able to access very, very important dental care.”

Prior to opening his practice, McKernan practiced dentistry at Whitman-Walker, the D.C. nonprofit community health center that has expertise in treating LGBTQ patients and those living with HIV/AIDS. Big Gay Smiles is a red ribbon sponsor for the organization’s Walk & 5K to End HIV.

After their visit with Big Gay Smiles, Levine and Guzman headed to Price Medical, a practice whose focus areas include internal medicine/primary care, HIV specialty care, immunizations, infectious disease treatment, and aesthetics like Botox.

There, the officials talked with Dr. Timothy Price about his office’s work advancing health equity and serving LGBTQ patients including those living with HIV/AIDS, as well as the ways in which small businesses like his have benefitted from access to electronic health records and telemedicine.

“People being able to access medical care from the comfort of their home or workplace can be very important,” Price said, with technology providing the means by which they can “ask questions and get an answer and have access to a health care provider.”

Often, LGBTQ patients will have concerns, including sexual health concerns, that need urgent attention, he said. For instance, “we’ve had patients need to access us for post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV,” in some cases when “people are vacationing and they have something that might be related to their health and they can reach us [via telemedicine] so that’s the way it’s really helped us and helped the patients.”

Access to technology for small businesses is an area in which the SBA can play a valuable role, Guzman noted.

“The Biden-Harris administration has focused on a whole-of-government approach to making sure we can support the community, and that includes in entrepreneurship,” she told the Blade.

“There’s a surge in [small] businesses starting and that includes” those founded by members of the LGBTQ community “and so you see that there’s products and services that need to be offered,” and the administration is “committed to making sure that we can fund those great ideas.”

Guzman said she sees opportunities for future collaboration between her agency and HHS to help encourage and facilitate innovation in the healthcare space. “Small businesses are innovators creating the future of health tech,” she said.

Levine agreed, noting “we have been talking about that, about different ways that we can work together, because as we think about the social determinants of health and those other social factors that impact health, well, economic opportunity is absolutely a social determinant of health,” and small businesses are certainly a critical way to broaden economic opportunity.

WASHINGTON — Speaking with the Washington Blade on Monday, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Assistant Health Secretary Adm. Rachel Levine detailed plans to expand health equity initiatives under a second Biden-Harris administration.

The conversation came shortly after the agency held a Progress Pride flag-raising ceremony, where U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), delivered opening remarks alongside the top HHS officials who also spoke at the department’s second annual Pride Summit later on Monday.

Levine highlighted a slate of recent actions and goals on which to build in a second term: The issuance in April of a final rule clarifying that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited under the Affordable Care Act; a demographic data collection plan on sexual orientation and gender identity metrics; the pursuit of regulations and litigation (coordinated with the Justice Department) to combat healthcare restrictions, including those which target LGBTQ communities; and the agency’s commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

“To put an exclamation point behind some of that,” Becerra said, “on SOGI, we think it’s important to gather the data that lets us figure out where to go next, or where you have issues” in “getting access to the care that you need.”

“And we know we’re going to end up in court with a lot of the rules that we’ve enacted,” added the secretary, who previously served as attorney general of California, “but we’re ready for that — they’ll get tested, and we’re ready to defend [them].”

Becerra added that along with the initiatives outlined by Levine, HHS is looking to expand efforts in the behavioral health space to maximize opportunities to match patients with providers who have shared backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences.

That way, he said, “chances are that individual in need of care is going to open up faster. So we’re going to try to move quicker towards providing, in the behavioral health setting, people with lived experiences who can speak to what this individual is hurting from, is suffering from, so we can try to help them with their behavioral health challenges.”

The secretary praised the Biden-Harris administration’s pro-equality record, noting, “the fact that we’re the first department to fly the Pride flag, I think it shows that we’re out front, and we are very intent on making sure everyone has access to the care that they need.”

“And to do that, you’re going to find yourself in court,” Becerra said. “To do that, you need to do an aggressive job of collecting data. To do that, you have to show people that you can approach them with someone who’s experienced in what they’re going through. And so all of those things have to be amped up if we’re going to make further progress in the next administration’s four years.”

Levine repeatedly credited the secretary’s leadership as well as President Joe Biden’s work advancing equity throughout his administration, including through executive orders, when discussing HHS’s efforts to expand healthcare access and improve health outcomes for diverse populations including the LGBTQ community.

“One of the highlights, I think, of the Biden-Harris administration and Secretary Becerra’s leadership is the the emphasis on building representation in Washington that looks like the people of our country,” said Levine, who became the highest-ranking transgender government official with her appointment as assistant health secretary in 2021.

“Whether it is communities of color, whether it is the LGBTQI+ community, young people, seniors, I mean, we really want the the people who work for the people of our country to look like them and to represent them,” she said.

She also highlighted the extent to which her and Becerra’s work on this front has involved putting boots on the ground. “I’ve been to Austin. I’ve been to Dallas. I’ve been to Nashville. I’m going to Jacksonville. We tried to get to Idaho to Boise, but we got snowed out.”

“We are everywhere,” Levine said, adding that she likes to say the secretary has been doing “everything, everywhere, all at once,” (the title of a critically acclaimed film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2023.)

In a Pride month press release shared by the agency on Monday evening, Becerra said in a statement, “HHS works every day to build an America where LGBTQI+ Americans have access to quality, affordable health care and can go to the doctor without fear of stigma or discrimination. Where the state you live in doesn’t determine whether you can access lifesaving, gender-affirming care. And where more communities embrace the diversity that has always strengthened our national character.”

“Pride reminds us that we are a strong, resilient, and powerful community that fights hate with love,” Levine said. “As we celebrate Pride Month, we should recognize how far we have come, even as we take stock of the challenges that we face. Everything we do at HHS emphasizes health equity and this pride month, we are making a focused effort to address and eliminate the health disparities within the LGBTQI+ community.”

She added, “We are focused on our efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S., prevent syphilis and congenital syphilis, and promote access to care for LGBTQI+ people across America. Together, we can work to support healthy people, healthy communities, and a healthy nation for all. I am a positive and optimistic person, and I believe that working together, we can create a healthier, better future for all people living in the United States.”

WASHINGTON – As Pride Month officially kicks off with the proclamation issued by President Joe Biden on May 31, in addition to the new White House LGBTQ+ Community Safety Partnership launching a new guide containing key federal resources, the Executive Branch’s heads and agencies also are honoring Pride.

From social media:

This #PrideMonth, the Department of Justice celebrates all members of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex community.

Read more: https://t.co/KYMZY2pt3m pic.twitter.com/cnm0KOXhr1

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) June 1, 2024

Pride Month is a time to come together to honor the contributions of LGBTQ+ service members. We are committed to ensuring and promoting an atmosphere of dignity and respect for all civilian and military personnel. pic.twitter.com/RyGTDBjUcN

— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) June 1, 2024

Despite great strides for equality around the world, LGBTQI+ persons in many countries continue to face grave danger. Protecting the spirit of #Pride and promoting respect for the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons is central to the work we do. pic.twitter.com/vN4Sz19a2Y

— Department of State (@StateDept) June 1, 2024

Happy Pride! Pride month rests on a tradition of both celebration and protest, and above all an insistence on equality, safety, and belonging for all LGBTQ+ Americans.

— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) June 1, 2024

June marks Pride Month, a time to celebrate the many contributions of our LGBTQIA+ workforce and stand with the community – our community – throughout the month and every day. #WeAreDHS #Pride2024 pic.twitter.com/rVwhFXnAT1

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 3, 2024

This Pride Month and every month, the @Interior team works to build a country that represents and welcomes each of us. I'm honored to celebrate our vibrant LGBTQI+ community worldwide and their countless contributions to our shared, equitable future. Happy Pride Month, everyone! pic.twitter.com/6OU55MoQkE

— Secretary Deb Haaland (@SecDebHaaland) May 31, 2024

Let us Reflect, Empower and Unite together this #Pride Month as we celebrate the diversity of the NWS family! Their skills and perspectives allow us to meet our mission of protecting a diverse nation. pic.twitter.com/Z5nnweZRFX

— National Weather Service (@NWS) June 1, 2024

Happy #PrideMonth 🏳️‍🌈! This annual occasion is a celebration of the strength, vibrancy, and diversity of the #LGBTQI+ community. Read a message from ITA Office of Public Affairs Director Tyrik McKeiver on the importance of building an inclusive world ➡️ https://t.co/vubtGYYKmS

— ITA (@TradeGov) June 3, 2024

It's #PrideMonth!

Tune in as we share stories of our @CommerceGov colleagues and resources available to the LGBTQI+ community. pic.twitter.com/pMJUE9r3P5

— U.S. Commerce Dept. (@CommerceGov) June 3, 2024

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month!
It’s a reflection on LGBTQ+ history, resilience, and progress. This month, and every month, the USCG stands in solidarity for the inclusivity and acceptance of all our shipmates!#EqualityForAll #equality #Pride #pridemonth pic.twitter.com/D3JQsnDxxN

— U.S. Coast Guard (@USCG) June 1, 2024

💙🇺🇸 Charting a course for equality. Celebrate with the #USNavy this #PrideMonth! ⚓ pic.twitter.com/B77qWaXBd9

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) June 3, 2024

This #PrideMonth, we honor the contributions of LGBTQ+ personnel across the Joint Force. Their service enriches our military community and ensures we are ready to respond when the Nation calls. pic.twitter.com/roejPri7qb

— The Joint Staff 🇺🇸 (@thejointstaff) June 3, 2024

During #PrideMonth, we celebrate the courage and resilience of the LGBTQI+ community and stand beside them in the fight against hatred and bigotry. Today and every day, HHS remains deeply committed to protecting the rights of LGBTQI+ Americans. pic.twitter.com/yFqpiYjSiu

— HHS.gov (@HHSGov) June 1, 2024

Today, we kicked off our Second Annual HHS Pride Summit!

At HHS, we are committed to delivering on the promise of health equity for communities that have often been underserved and under-resourced, including the LGBTQI+ community. #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/fhD1p4Ce70

— HHS.gov (@HHSGov) June 3, 2024

At @USDOL, we're committed to promoting opportunity for all workers. 🌈 Proudly standing with LGBTQI+ workers, we recognize their invaluable contributions to diverse and inclusive workplaces. #PrideMonth #Equality pic.twitter.com/4ubvUO3BMk

— U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) June 1, 2024

This Pride Month—and every day—VA openly and proudly recognizes the more than one million LGBTQ+ Veterans that have served this nation. We thank each and every one of them—and every person who has donned the uniform—for their service and sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/3gIOWgIYLe

— Veterans Affairs (@DeptVetAffairs) June 1, 2024

As we mark the start of #PrideMonth, we're reflecting on how far we've come while recognizing the work still to be done.

There's space for everyone — all genders and orientations — in exploration and discovery. pic.twitter.com/8k7Hrcy5uz

— NASA (@NASA) June 1, 2024

Every student should feel safe attending school in America, free from discrimination & valued for who they are.

That means creating welcoming & safe learning environments for every LGTBQI+ student & ensuring educators have resources to support LGBTQI+ young people.#PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/bIXWIFTjyn

— U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) June 1, 2024

To the LGBTQI+ community: We see you, we stand with you, and we celebrate you with pride. pic.twitter.com/Aj813ss9os

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 2, 2024

This Pride Month, we thank LGBTQ+ Service members for their contributions to our national security. As Secretary of Defense, I remain dedicated to making sure that our LGBTQ personnel across the Joint Force can continue to serve with dignity and respect. We applaud your service –… pic.twitter.com/hs61oK6lzR

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) June 3, 2024

This month, we uplift the achievements and resiliency of the LGBTQI+ community. USDA is committed to continue fostering cultural competency within our workforce and advancing equality for all we serve.

Happy Pride Month! pic.twitter.com/YVEMQqO9ax

— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) June 1, 2024

At the #FBI, we know that diversity makes us stronger. During #PrideMonth, the FBI celebrates our #LGBTQIA+ colleagues’ contributions to our country and our mission. Learn more about the Bureau’s diversity and inclusion initiatives: https://t.co/qYeLcYObNb #PRIDE pic.twitter.com/c7jqFrvMYp

— FBI (@FBI) June 3, 2024

Happy Pride Month!

This month and every month, our Administration celebrates the extraordinary courage of LGBTQI+ people and proudly stands with them in the fight for equality, justice, and inclusion. pic.twitter.com/bgHLLHNjS1

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 1, 2024

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and all month long, we’ll be sharing photos and a little bit about our National Guard members to celebrate our diverse force. Learn more: https://t.co/jOSfDDKhyV #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/aAZ5NYT0pW

— National Guard (@USNationalGuard) June 1, 2024

The aviation industry thrives and maintains safety through the diversity of its participants, including the LGBTQIA+ community. #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/eSd5xfO1e0

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) June 1, 2024

We raise the pride flag at @usedgov to celebrate Pride Month and the strength of the LGBTQI+ community. But it also serves as a reminder that in a world where too many LGBTQI+ students are still bullied for who they are, we’ve got work to do. Hate has no place in our classrooms. pic.twitter.com/MPIqJuupqv

— Secretary Miguel Cardona (@SecCardona) June 6, 2024

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Justice Department has reportedly launched an investigation into violence against transgender and Latino students in Norfolk, Va.

WHRO, a public radio broadcast radio station, reported Melissa Corrigan earlier this year spoke with an attorney from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division about violence that her trans son experienced at Norview High School. The Hampton Roads public radio station said Corrigan contacted the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk more than a year ago.

Corrigan told WHRO that her son suffered harassment, physical violence because of his gender identity. She also said he was sexually assaulted in a bathroom.

“He was definitely feeling targeted because of it,” Corrigan told WHRO, referring to her son’s gender identity. “And more than that, he wasn’t feeling like he was getting any protection from administration.” 

Corrigan said her son eventually withdrew from Norfolk Public Schools. She said a Justice Department Civil Rights Division attorney met with her and her son for two hours in March.

WHRO also reported Latino students at Norview High School said they had been assaulted because of their race. Their families, like Corrigan, said administrations did nothing to stop the violence.

The Biden-Harris administration has said Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination in schools based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is among the state attorneys general who have challenged new Title IX rules that expand protections for LGBTQ students.

WHRO reported Norfolk Public Schools Superintendent Sharon Byrdsong declined an interview request. The local U.S. Attorney’s Office did not confirm whether an investigation is underway.