The decline and rolling back of LGBTQ rights during the Trump Administration has been a major area of focus for civil rights and advocacy groups. The administration has taken a number of actions, particularly targeting the rights and visibility of transgender and non-binary people. +

Many of these actions have been challenged in court by civil rights organizations. The overall impact, according to LGBTQ advocates, has been an increase in discriminatory policies, a reduction in federal protections, and a rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and sentiment in public life. +

The one positive outcome was the recent action of the U.S. Supreme Court to refuse to hear an appeal to reject the ruling on same-sex marriage. The response was a simple “No,” without any opinion or further discussion. Perhaps they felt the shift in public opinion since the ruling, now that the majority of the public favor same-sex marriage.

LGBTQ+ Communities in NC Refuse to Go Back into the Closet

Although most Pride Parades and Festivals occur during the summer, a few still are on the calendar. Several of the smaller communities in the Triangle had events in addition to Raleigh. September events are lined up in Greensboro, Durham, Statesville, and Asheville. Wake Forest and Union County are on the calendar for October.

In 2025, a lot of media attention was focused on some of the pending legislation in the NC General Assembly restricting transgender rights and access as well as school curriculum. Teachers are still getting in trouble if they even mention gender identity, but PTA’s have moved on to other issues.

The Carolina Theatre of Durham prepares for the 30th Anniversary OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival on August 14-17, 2025

While most of the big city parades/festivals took place in June, we have eleven still coming up in North Carolina in September and October. When Wake County developed a template of an anti-discriminatory ordinance, several communities adopted it. And they also scheduled local events. The big events for August are the OutSouth Queer Film Festival at the Carolina Theatre August 14-17 and the Charlotte Pride Parade and Festival August 16 – 17.

I recall the time a few years ago when the Gay Pride Parade in Durham was the only event in the state. An earlier event in Raleigh played out to be replaced later by the street festival OutRaleigh. It is a sample of the division on the issues that a Purple State like North Carolina the social norms would become more progressive while the politics becomes more conservative. When I see families with kids coming to our events, I have positive expectations. We just know how to have fun. Of course, our events are “sanitized” in comparison with San Francisco.