Running in 2024, Donald Trump and JD Vance made attacking LGBTQ+ people a central feature of their campaign. The then-candidates and their loyalists spent millions targeting the community. Trump lied to crowds, “Your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” suggesting they had undergone gender reassignment surgery.
The less-than-one-term Ohio Senator JD Vance echoed the same claims on the campaign trail, as the pair promised to reform the military to exclude transgender soldiers. Since taking office, the Trump administration has taken many steps to banish LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender people, from the military, civil service, and ultimately public life.
