Trump guts LGBTQ+ Discrimination Ban Tied to School Lunches

By: Paul Goldberg, Senior Editor | JRL CHARTS LGBT Politics USA

WASHINGTON D.C. — (July 10, 2025) — In a controversial move that has LGBTQ+ advocates outraged, the Trump administration has officially rescinded a key Biden-era anti-discrimination policy protecting queer students in federally funded school lunch programs — impacting nearly 30 million children nationwide.

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The now-defunct USDA policy had mandated that schools investigate allegations of discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation as a condition for receiving nutrition assistance through the National School Lunch Program and other aid services.

The rollback — quietly issued in a July 7 directive — declares that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will no longer enforce guidelines introduced in May 2022 under the Biden administration, which interpreted Title IX protections to include LGBTQ+ students.

The Policy Now Eliminated

Originally announced under President Biden, the 2022 USDA guidance directed that:

“Allegations of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity must be investigated in any federally funded nutrition program.”

But under Trump’s July 7 reversal, the USDA now claims the prior policy was:

“An illegal threat issued under the Biden Administration that mandated compliance with ever-evolving concepts of gender ideology as a condition for participation.”

Why It Matters

This marks yet another aggressive rollback of protections for LGBTQ+ Americans since Trump’s return to office — joining earlier moves to:

Ban transgender people from military service
Dismantle workplace protections based on gender identity
Enforce binary gender definitions across all federal agencies

Critics say this newest move targets vulnerable youth already facing food insecurity and discrimination — with devastating ripple effects.

Reaction from LGBTQ+ Leaders

GLAAD, the nation’s leading LGBTQ+ media advocacy group, slammed the decision:

“President Trump just signed a budget that cuts food access and now encourages schools to look the other way as LGBTQ students are discriminated against in the lunch line. His administration is taking orders from the extremist Project 2025 playbook — not from the American people.”

The Congressional Equality Caucus posted on X:

“This is beyond cruel. No American should go hungry just because of who they are or who they love.”

Brian Dittmeier, director of LGBTQI+ policy at the National Women’s Law Center, added:

“The Trump administration is finding new ways to take food away from hungry children. With 2 million LGBTQI+ students nationwide, this is a greenlight for discrimination.”

The Legal Battle That Led Here

The Biden-era policy faced strong opposition from conservative states and school districts. Lawsuits filed by groups like Alliance Defending Freedom and the Rapides Parish School District in Louisiana claimed the guidance unlawfully expanded civil rights laws without congressional approval.

The July 7 rollback now gives those states exactly what they wanted: the ability to deny food program funding to schools that support LGBTQ+ protections.

What’s Next

With the 2025-2026 school year looming, civil rights attorneys warn this reversal could embolden discriminatory behavior in thousands of public schools and impact millions of LGBTQ+ youth across all 50 states.

Advocacy groups vow legal action — and say this is only the beginning of a sweeping dismantling of LGBTQ+ protections under Trump’s revived presidency.

Stay with JRL CHARTS for real-time updates on LGBTQ+ rights, political showdowns, and the policies impacting our community nationwide.