Donald Trump issued an executive order rescinding two orders that Joe Biden signed on his first day in office four years ago, one advancing racial equity for under-served communities and another combating discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
One executive order, called “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”, instructs the federal government to remove “all radical gender ideology guidance, communication, policies, and forms”.
“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 president said during his inaugural address.
The order directs the secretaries of state and homeland security to ensure that passports, visas and other official government documents reflect male and female as the only two sexes. Agencies will also be prohibited from promoting gender transition, and prisons will be instructed not to use taxpayer funds for gender transition services.
“Agencies will cease pretending that men can be women and women can be men when enforcing laws that protect against sex discrimination,” the order states.
The order stands in opposition to one signed by Biden on his first day in office, which ordered the federal government to “review all existing orders, regulations, guidance documents, policies, programs, or other agency actions” that could infringe on transgender rights.
The Trump administration also plans to review and potentially end what the official described as “discriminatory programs”, including environmental justice grants and diversity training initiatives.
The DEI rollback and Trump’s inauguration coincided with this year’s Martin Luther King Jr Day holiday commemorating the civil rights leader.
Civil and human rights advocates and groups immediately vowed to protect minorities and challenge Trump’s agenda.
“We refuse to back down or be intimidated. We are not going anywhere, and we will fight back against these harmful provisions with everything we’ve got,” Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group in the US, said in a statement.
Rights advocates have said any DEI and trans rights rollbacks implemented by Trump would be a blow to hard-fought efforts to secure equitable policies and undermine progress made to address systemic prejudices that have deprived equal opportunities for marginalized groups for decades.
“We will continue our relentless efforts to protect immigrant rights, combat voter suppression, and confront hate and discrimination in all its forms,” Asian Americans Advancing Justice said in a statement.
Many corporations have distanced themselves from DEI measures, with some rolling back DEI initiatives and programs in recent weeks. Meanwhile, companies such as Costco and Apple have remained resolute in maintaining their commitment to DEI.
Reuters contributed reporting
