The US government has been forced to return more than $6.2 million in federal funding to LGBTQ+ and HIV advocacy groups following a major court ruling that struck down executive orders issued by President Donald Trump.
The funding had been cut earlier this year after Trump, shortly after returning to the White House in January, signed a series of executive orders targeting federal grants allocated to LGBTQ+ and HIV-focused organisations. The move was widely condemned as politically motivated and discriminatory.
However, in June, US District Court Judge Jon Tigar issued a preliminary injunction blocking the orders, declaring them unconstitutional and in violation of both the First and Fifth Amendments.
On Tuesday (15 July), Lambda Legal, which represented the plaintiffs, confirmed the funds had been reinstated.
“The LGBTQ+ organisations who provide critical services to our community have seen their threatened funding restored,” said Jose Abrigo, HIV Project Director and senior attorney at Lambda Legal.
“When we fight, we win. We know the battle is far from over and there will be setbacks along the way, but the cause is too important, and the need too great, for us to lose heart.”
Who Received the Funding?
Nine organisations that had been impacted by the funding freeze will now receive their previously approved grants. These include:
- San Francisco AIDS Foundation
- Los Angeles LGBT Centre
- GLBT Historical Society
- San Francisco Community Health Centre
- Prisma Community Care
- NYC LGBT Community Centre
- Bradbury-Sullivan Community Centre
- Baltimore Safe Haven
- FORGE
These organisations provide vital health, education, historical preservation, and crisis services to LGBTQ+ people and individuals living with HIV across the United States.
Lifesaving LGBTQ+ Youth Hotline Closed Despite Pleas
The court victory comes amid increasing concerns about the US government’s broader effort to roll back LGBTQ+ protections and services under the Trump administration.
On Thursday (17 July), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—led by Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr—confirmed it had shut down the ‘Press 3 Option’, a specialised lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth in crisis. The hotline had operated as part of the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, in partnership with The Trevor Project.
Despite repeated calls from advocacy groups to reconsider, the service was discontinued following leaked budget documents earlier this year that outlined the planned closure.
Since launching in 2022, the hotline had become a vital support resource for LGBTQ+ youth. Referrals increased dramatically from 1,752 in September 2022 to nearly 59,000 in February 2025. In January 2025 alone, shortly after Trump’s return to office, the lifeline received 60,711 calls—a record high.
