As Pride Month comes to a close, we want to recognize and celebrate not just the contributions of the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and queer+ community in general, but also recognize the progress this community has made in terms of equity, inclusion, and civil rights. We have seen the long pursuit of equality and justice for the LGBTQ+ community: from the Stonewall Uprising in 1969 that was a pivotal civil rights moment for the community, to the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in the Obergefell decision by the Supreme Court in 2015, to the Court’s 2020 clarification in the Bostock case that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is unlawful. However, more recently members of the government — at all levels — appear to be focused on limiting LGBTQ+ rights, as well as critical resources for this community, especially during Pride Month. As such, this creates a charge for us to stand up for their rights and create safe spaces for members of the LGBTQ+ community year-round. 

Recent examples of curtailing rights and resources for the LBGTQ+ community include when, on June 18, 2025, the federal government notified The Trevor Project of the government’s order to close the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program, effective July 17, 2025. This is cruel, especially during Pride Month, and it is one of the most harmful steps the administration could take against LGBTQ+ youth. Youth who are part of the LGBTQ+ community are at a much higher risk for suicide than their peers. This is not because they are inherently prone to suicide risk, but, rather, due to the mistreatment and stigmatization LGBTQ+ youth experience. They also generally lack access to resources, including gender-affirming care and mental health treatment, which further increases the risk of suicide among these youth. As such, pulling this free national resource will have consequences. 

Unfortunately, it is not only the federal government that is targeting LGBTQ+ kids. Arkansas has been at it as well. While most government officials claim that they are introducing rules or legislation to protect Arkansas children, the legislation has the opposite effect on LGBTQ+ youth and their families. Recent bills have targeted transgender children to stop them from accessing the most basic gender-affirming care and mental health support, and to make it difficult for them to be in public. 

For example, in 2021, Arkansas started this process with Act 626, the “Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act.” It bans physicians from providing gender-affirming care for transgender youth under 18 years of age. This means that doctors cannot provide transition-related treatments such as hormonal therapy, puberty blockers, or gender transition surgeries (though gender transition surgeries for minors were not performed in Arkansas even before this bill passed). If doctors provide any of these treatments, they could risk losing their medical license. It also bars the use of any state funds or insurance, including Medicaid, for gender-affirming health care for people under 18 years of age. Further, it allowed private insurers to refuse coverage for gender-affirming care for anyone, regardless of age. Although the Act was struck down by a federal court in 2021, there are ongoing legal battles.  

In 2023, the state added bathroom restrictions on LGBTQ+ students with Act 317. This law requires students in public schools to use bathrooms or locker rooms based on their gender assigned at birth, effectively forcing transgender students into bathrooms that do not correspond with the gender with which they identify. In 2025, the legislature passed Act 979, which allows a mental health professional who provides a “gender-affirming intervention” to a minor to be sued up to 15 years after the date on which the minor turns 18. The definition of “gender-affirming intervention” is overly broad and could include actions such as respecting a transgender child’s name and pronouns or providing therapy. You can read more about equity-related laws we opposed during the 2025 session, as well as a “near miss” we had on a proposed, harmful bill here. 

There have also been state regulations passed that negatively impact the transgender and nonbinary communities. These include the decision to revoke the “X” gender marker option on a driver’s license or ID in Arkansas, even though that rule had been in place without one identified issue for more than 14 years. These types of changes cause fear and harm to the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, they increase the likelihood of violence against anyone perceived to be transgender, whether they are or not. Laws and regulations like these often result in isolation of some of our most vulnerable community members, further increasing risks for them. 

Many legislators also claim the need to protect women in proposing changes like those seen in Act 955 from our most recent legislative session. This law prohibits a person from entering a restroom, changing room, shelter, or other state, local, and municipal facilities, that is designated for the exclusive use of females or males if he or she is not a member of the designated sex. However, laws and regulations like these are more likely to cause harm. If a trans woman who presents as fully female is pulled over while driving, she must present a driver’s license that shows the opposite. If arrested, a trans woman will be placed in physical jeopardy as Act 955 also prohibits jails and prisons from placing a trans person in a cell that aligns with their gender identity (with the possibility of civil lawsuits being filed for breaking this new law). Despite the rhetoric regarding attempts to increase safety, there are no fail safes in these bills to address the issues of gender-based violence.

Despite the fear-mongering, we do not have to live in fear. We can be a safe space for a trans child who needs someone to listen to them. We can promote resources like The Trevor Project, which will still provide services for LGBTQ+ kids at risk of suicide. We can and should remember to continue to celebrate the joy inherent in Pride Month and fight for the rights of our LGBTQ+ neighbors during and beyond this month.