President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday recognizing only two sexes, male and female, as unchangeable. The order marks a significant rollback of policies aimed at promoting racial equity and protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals.
The executive order mandates that government documents, such as passports and visas, be based on an individual’s “immutable biological classification” as either male or female, using the term “sex” instead of “gender.”
This move is part of Trump’s broader effort to undo policies put in place by the Biden administration, which prioritized diversity and inclusion measures across the federal government. Trump’s order rescinds 78 executive actions signed by President Joe Biden, including several measures aimed at advancing racial equity and combating discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.
Among the rescinded orders are two key initiatives from Biden’s first day in office: one advancing racial equity for underserved communities and another aimed at protecting people based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Trump also revoked measures intended to support Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian American communities.
Trump, speaking during his inaugural address, said, “This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”
He emphasized the new policy would be based on a “color-blind and merit-based” society, declaring, “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”
The timing of Trump’s executive orders coincided with the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, a time traditionally associated with civil rights advocacy.
Rights groups quickly condemned the move. Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ rights organization in the U.S., vowed to fight back, saying, “We refuse to back down or be intimidated. We are not going anywhere.”
Advocacy groups expressed concern that these rollbacks would undermine hard-won progress on civil rights, particularly for marginalized groups who have long faced systemic barriers to equal opportunity.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a civil rights group, said, “We will continue our relentless efforts to protect immigrant rights, combat voter suppression, and confront hate and discrimination in all its forms.”
While many corporations have distanced themselves from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in recent months, companies like Costco and Apple have reaffirmed their commitment to DEI initiatives.
Another significant aspect of Trump’s order is the prohibition of federal funds being used to promote what some conservative groups refer to as “gender ideology.” This broad term is often used to criticize views that recognize non-traditional gender identities, but LGBTQ+ groups see it as a harmful, dehumanizing label.
The executive order also seeks to limit the scope of the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which found that civil rights protections against discrimination “on the basis of sex” apply to both sexuality and gender identity. The administration plans to provide new guidance on the ruling, with the goal of restricting its application.
Transgender rights have become a hot-button issue in recent years, particularly in the political arena. In November’s election season, many Republican candidates campaigned on reversing laws that allowed transgender women to participate in women’s sports. Trump, at a pre-inauguration rally, reiterated his commitment to “keep all men out of women’s sports.”
The order marks a decisive moment in Trump’s efforts to reshape U.S. policies on diversity and LGBTQ rights, with advocacy groups preparing for further legal battles to protect the rights of marginalized communities.
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