Trump To End Transgender Protections And DEI Programs
President Donald Trump will sign executive orders Monday rolling back protections for transgender people and terminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government in what he described in his inauguration speech as a move to end efforts to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”
One order would declare that the federal government would recognize only two immutable sexes: male and female.
The definition will be based on whether people are born with eggs or sperm, rather than on their chromosomes. The change is being pitched as a way to protect women from “gender extremism.”
An official in his administration said it would mean the government will no longer recognize Transgender Day of Visibility, which fell on easter in 2024.
Under the order, federal prisons and shelters for migrants and rape victims would be segregated by sex as defined by the order.
And federal taxpayer money could not be used to fund “transition services.” A small number of federal prison inmates have had gender-affirming surgery and more have had treatments such as hormone therapy paid for with federal funds.
The order would also block requirements at government facilities and at workplaces that transgender people be referred to using the pronouns that align with their gender. Trump’s team says those requirements violate the First Amendment’s freedom of speech and religion.
The order does not appear to issue a nationwide mandate on which bathrooms transgender people can use or which sports competitions they can join, though many states have passed laws on those areas.
Civil rights groups were preparing to challenge Trump’s orders in court before he took office.
