President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders aimed at revoking the protection of transgender rights and “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programs in the US government. These measures were introduced during the previous administration of President Joe Biden.
The first executive order, titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful DEI Programs and Preference by the Government” claims that the Biden administration had implemented “illegitimate and immoral discrimination programs” under the name of DEI in almost all areas of the federal government, from aviation to the military.
The new guidelines state that the government’s employment practices, including performance evaluations of federal employees, will reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work, and will not consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, guidelines, mandates, or requirements.
The second executive order, titled “Defense of Women from Gender Ideological Extremism and Restoration of Biological Truth in the Federal Government” instructs federal agencies to initiate measures to support the “protection of gender identity” and to finalize the abolition of previous formulations. The order clearly states that in the future, the US government will only recognize two genders, male and female, in official documents and websites of the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security.
The order also prohibits the use of the term “Gender” and requires official documents, including passports and visas, to reflect the gender as defined in the order. The document also bans the use of state funds for gender transition services in prisons.
Critics, including LGBTQ+ rights groups, have strongly condemned the measures, with Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign, stating, “We refuse to back down or be intimidated (..) We will fight against these harmful provisions with everything we have.”
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a prominent legal organization, also criticized the rollback and announced plans to “protect vulnerable communities” and continue to fight against discrimination.
These measures reflect a broader national trend, as more and more companies are reducing or abandoning their DEI programs in response to negative reactions from customers or users.