On Monday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that significantly curtails protections for diversity and LGBTQ+ rights, announcing that the U.S. government will recognize only two immutable sexes, male and female. This move is part of a broader effort to dismantle policies aimed at promoting racial equity and safeguarding LGBTQ+ rights.
The new order mandates that the term “sex” be used instead of “gender” in official government documents and that identification documents such as passports and visas be issued based on an individual’s biological sex, defined strictly as either male or female.
Shortly after taking office, Trump moved swiftly to fulfill his campaign promise of rolling back policies implemented by the Biden administration, which had prioritized racial and gender diversity in government programs.
Among the executive actions repealed were 78 orders signed by President Biden, including measures aimed at advancing racial equity and protecting against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Notably, Trump rescinded two key executive orders from Biden’s first day in office—one promoting racial equity for underserved communities and another aimed at preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Trump’s actions also targeted initiatives that supported racial and ethnic minorities, including Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian American communities. In his inaugural address, he declared that his administration would end efforts to “socially engineer” race and gender considerations across public and private life, advocating for a “color-blind” and “merit-based” society.
The timing of these executive orders, coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, sparked immediate backlash from civil rights groups and LGBTQ+ advocates, who vowed to challenge the new policies. Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, called the measures “harmful” and pledged to continue fighting against them.
Civil rights organizations criticized Trump’s actions as a regression in the fight for racial and LGBTQ+ equality, arguing that these rollbacks would harm marginalized communities and undermine efforts to address systemic discrimination.
In addition to limiting diversity initiatives, Trump’s orders restrict the use of federal funds for promoting “gender ideology,” a term often used by conservative groups to describe non-traditional views on sex and gender. This term is viewed by LGBTQ+ advocates as a derogatory label.
The administration also seeks to weaken the protections for transgender individuals established by the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which expanded civil rights protections to include gender identity and sexual orientation. Trump’s government intends to limit the ruling’s scope, with the attorney general expected to issue guidance on its application.
Transgender rights have become a divisive political issue, with Republicans, including Trump, campaigning on the reversal of laws protecting transgender people, particularly regarding transgender women in sports. At a rally prior to his inauguration, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to barring transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
