Trump Administration Forced To Restore Millions In LGBTQ+ And HIV Funding

July 18, 2025 Dan Tracer

LGBTQ+ and HIV groups saw vital funding restored after challenging discriminatory executive orders in court.

The Trump administration has been forced to restore $6.2 million in federal funding to LGBTQ+ and HIV-focused organizations following a legal victory led by Lambda Legal. The decision comes after two federal judges issued rulings against a series of executive orders that sought to defund programs tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as well as anything the administration labeled “gender ideology.”

The funding had been abruptly revoked earlier this year under directives signed by Donald Trump shortly after returning to office. These orders targeted programs that the administration claimed promoted ideas inconsistent with its views on gender and equity.

The most visible outcome came from a case filed in February in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where nine organizations represented by Lambda Legal challenged the administration’s actions. In a June 9 ruling, Judge Jon S. Tigar granted a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the contested executive orders, citing likely violations of the First and Fifth Amendments and the constitutional principle of Separation of Powers.

Lambda Legal has now confirmed that, following the injunction, the federal government began releasing the previously withheld funds to the plaintiffs, which include well-known service and advocacy groups such as the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Los Angeles LGBT Center, GLBT Historical Society, and Baltimore Safe Haven.

These groups provide services ranging from HIV treatment and prevention to mental health care, reproductive services, housing assistance, and youth programming. Many operate on tight budgets, relying heavily on federal grants to stay afloat. Had the orders been allowed to take full effect, the impact would have been felt not just by these nonprofits, but by the communities they serve.

A second federal case, heard in Massachusetts, added pressure to the administration. In that courtroom, Judge William Young ordered the National Institutes of Health to resume funding for hundreds of research grants tied to DEI or gender-related topics. Some of the research had focused on LGBTQ+ health outcomes and racial disparities in medicine.

“I’ve never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable,” said Judge Young from the bench. “I am hesitant to draw this conclusion, but I have an unflinching obligation to draw it, that this represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community.”

Of course, this isn’t the end of the fight. Both cases are still winding through the courts, and any final ruling could take months or longer. But for now, organizations are breathing a little easier, knowing their doors can stay open and their programs can continue.

“The cause is too important, and the need too great, for us to lose heart,” said Jose Abrigo, Lambda Legal’s senior attorney and HIV project director, in a press release.

“Lambda Legal will continue to fight against these orders as the lawsuit progresses, ensuring that these organizations—and the communities they serve—remain protected from unlawful government overreach,” the release stated.

Organizations Impacted by the Funding Restoration: