Stephen Miller, a prominent political advisor who serves as President Donald Trump‘s White House deputy chief of staff for policy and U.S. Homeland Security advisor, has long been a controversial figure in American politics. Known for his hardline conservative views, Miller has used his right-wing advocacy group America First Legal (AFL) to spearhead numerous legal challenges aimed at rolling back protections and rights for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Miller actively campaigns against what he perceives as “woke” agendas from schools and businesses, generally opposing any expansion of LGBTQ+ rights as illegal and harmful to women and children. As such, his presence in the White House has echoed Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ worldviews. Below is an overview of Miller’s positions on key LGBTQ+ issues.

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Stephen Miller at a glance

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• Location: Washington, D.C.
• Party affiliation: Republican
• Race/ethnicity: White
• Gender identity: Male
• Sexual orientation: Straight
• Pronouns: He/Him
• LGBTQ+ ally: No

Social media

• X: @StephenM
• Instagram: @StephenM
• Website: AFLegal.org

Biography

Stephen Miller, born in Santa Monica, California, on August 23, 1985, is a prominent American political advisor known for his far-right and anti-immigration views. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Duke University in 2007.

Miller’s political career began as a press secretary for U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and John Shadegg (R-AZ), followed by his role as communications director for Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL). In 2016, he joined Trump’s presidential campaign as a senior policy advisor and speechwriter, contributing to key addresses, including Trump’s inaugural speech.

During Trump’s first term, Miller served as Senior Advisor to the President, where he was instrumental in formulating and implementing stringent immigration policies, such as the travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries and the family separation policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. After Trump’s initial tenure, Miller founded America First Legal (AFL), a conservative legal organization aimed at opposing progressive policies.

In November 2024, President-elect Trump appointed Miller as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor for his upcoming administration, signaling a continuation of hardline immigration stances.

Miller’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues

As the founder of America First Legal (AFL), Miller has been at the forefront of legal battles that often target LGBTQ+ rights and protections.

Miller’s approach to LGBTQ+ issues is part of a larger strategy to combat what he calls “radical progressive legal organizations.” He views AFL as the “long-awaited answer to the ACLU” and promises “relentless litigation and oversight” to promote an “America First” agenda.

Same-sex marriage

While Stephen Miller hasn’t been as vocal about same-sex marriage as he is about other LGBTQ+ issues, his overall approach to LGBTQ+ rights suggests he likely opposes it. Miller’s organization, AFL, has consistently taken legal actions against what they term “woke” policies, which often include initiatives to acknowledge LGBTQ+ people and their rights.

Trans children in sports

Miller has been particularly outspoken against transgender participation in sports. He supported the passage of the so-called Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, legislation that would ban trans students from playing sports at any federally funded schools and education programs. Miller said the law is necessary to block “men” from competing in women’s sports.

He has accused people who support trans athletes of “want[ing] men in their daughters’ sports leagues, locker rooms, and restrooms,” heralding “the end of women’s sports and women’s spaces” and “[supporting] the radical trans agenda and the erasure of women.” Miller has also said that he believes that campaigning on this “cross-cutting issue” will help Republicans win elections.

Transgender access to public bathrooms

The AFL has repeatedly opposed policies that allow trans people to use restrooms and other facilities matching their gender identity. The AFL has said such policies are part of an “outrageous assault on America’s women and girls” that threatens their physical safety; essentially demonizing trans people as bathroom predators.

Gender-affirming care for trans youth

Even though almost all major American medical and psychological associations consider gender-affirming care to be safe, effective, and essential to trans children’s well-being, Miller’s organization has repeatedly referred to gender-affirming care as “experimental chemical castration and genital mutilation” and supported attempts by Republican attorneys general to obtain the private medical records of people seeking gender-affirming care.

The AFL claims that gender-affirming care consists of “horrific, life-altering procedures being pushed on children by a radical few – all to advance an ideological agenda and so that unscrupulous doctors and others in the medical industry can make more money.”

In reality, many types of gender-affirming care are reversible and have been safely administered to trans and cisgender children for decades. Furthermore, the for-profit medical industry makes far more money off of all Americans from unethical and unregulated drug pricing, the Center for American Progress reports.

Don’t say gay/LGBTQ+ discussions in schools

Miller and AFL have been supportive of legislation like Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. In an April 2022 letter, Miller accused the Walt Disney Corporation of violating the law by opposing the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, claiming the company supports “the introduction of age-inappropriate sexual material in kindergarten classrooms, including radical gender ideology.”

Miller and the AFL have said that such laws are necessary for parents to “protect their children from woke indoctrination.” Miller has said of schools with LGBTQ+ inclusive policies, “The extreme social gender experiments being forced onto small children are nothing short of government-directed child abuse and child sexual exploitation.” He has also previously said that Republican officials and law enforcement should arrest people for “abusing children with trans ideology.”

The AFL filed lawsuits against school districts and corporations that implement LGBTQ+-inclusive policies or curricula. Miller supports laws and policies that would force teachers to out trans and nonbinary students to their potentially unsupportive parents. Miller and AFL also support laws banning minors from seeing drag performers, though such laws have been struck down as free-speech violations.

Discrimination protections

Miller’s AFL has said that pro-trans policies seek to “erase biological sex.” The AFL has opposed interpreting laws against sex discrimination as being inclusive of trans people and gender identity. The AFL has also accused pro-LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations of being “woke, left-wing, and anti-family institution[s] that [push] the lgbtq agenda and the transgender lie.”

Other LGBTQ+ issues

Miller’s AFL has taken a broad stance against LGBTQ+ rights in general. They’ve filed numerous lawsuits targeting “woke corporations” — like Mattel, Target, and Ben & Jerry’s — that acknowledge LGBTQ+ existence or push for LGBTQ+ rights, including companies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Miller and the AFL have also opposed guidelines issued by the Department of Human and Health Services (HHS) under President Joe Biden that advise foster care organizations on how to handle LGBTQ+ youth. AFL has also called for an investigation into “Navy Drag Queen” Joshua Kelley for allegedly “engaging in partisan politics, acting disrespectfully towards his superiors in public forums, bringing discredit upon the military through obscene social media posts, and wearing the uniform under circumstances that imply Navy endorsement of personal views and activity.”

Stephen Miller’s career

• Graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 2007
• Served as a press secretary for Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Senator Jeff Sessions early in his career
• Developed a reputation for anti-immigration policies while serving as communications director for Jeff Sessions
• Became a senior policy advisor for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, helping shape hardline stances on immigration, including opposition to DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), a plan to delay the deportations of children who immigrated to the U.S. as children
• Appointed as Senior Advisor to the President in January 2017, playing a key role in drafting executive orders, including the controversial “Muslim Ban”
• Served as the architect behind the “zero tolerance” family separation policy at the U.S.-Mexico border, leading to the separation of thousands of families in 2018
• Founded America First Legal in 2021, a conservative legal group described as a “right-wing answer to the ACLU”
• Became a vocal critic of immigration reform and diversity initiatives in media appearances, frequently aligning with Trumpian and nationalist rhetoric

The impact of Stephen Miller’s advocacy on LGBTQ+ rights

In conclusion, Stephen Miller’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues is consistently oppositional. Through his work with America First Legal and his influence in conservative politics, Miller has positioned himself as a key figure in efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights and protections across various domains of American life.

Stephen Miller’s approach to LGBTQ+ issues is emblematic of a broader conservative strategy to challenge progressive social policies. By focusing on high-profile legal battles and leveraging political influence, Miller aims to galvanize conservative support while simultaneously stoking cultural divisions.

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