US President Donald Trump will immediately issue executive orders that gut diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and proclaim that the US government will recognize only two genders – male and female – which cannot be changed, a a new White House official said Monday.
The official, speaking just hours before Trump, 78, sworn in as president for the second time, he added that further action on DEI programs was expected “very soon.”
“This week, I will also end the government’s policy of attempting to socially integrate race and gender into every aspect of public and private life,” Trump said. said in his inaugural speechas he returned to power after four years out of the Oval Office.
“We will forge a colorblind, merit-based society,” Trump said. “Effective today, it will be the official policy of the United States Government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
Tanya Neslusan, executive director of the US-based advocacy organization MassEquality, said Trump’s inauguration remarks were consistent with the “anti-LGBT…and transphobic rhetoric” of his current and past administration, but left nevertheless many question marks.
“What does this actually mean: This is an ‘official policy’, there are a lot of steps to take that are more specific than just saying it’s an official policy ” Neslusan said. told a CBS News affiliate in Boston.
The Trump administration plans to review and possibly end what the official described as “discriminatory programs,” including environmental justice grants and diversity training initiatives. No full details were immediately revealed on what steps were planned to cancel the orders, or when they would be announced.
The impending rollback of DEI and Trump’s inauguration coincides this year with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday commemorating the late civil rights leader.
Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said Trump’s policies are a step backwards.
“Dr. King had a dream, and this is his nightmare: the rollback of the work of our civil and human rights coalition over the past 75 years.” Wiley said in a statement.
Challenges ahead
Civil and human rights advocates and groups immediately pledged 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 these harmful provisions with everything we have,” said Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest advocacy group. LGBTQ+ rights. in the United States, in a statement.
Rights advocates said any rollback of DEI and transgender rights implemented by Trump would deal a blow to efforts to ensure equitable policies and undermine progress made to combat systemic bias that has disenfranchised marginalized groups. of equal opportunities for decades.
“We will continue our relentless efforts to protect the rights of immigrants, combat voter suppression, and combat hatred and discrimination in all its forms,” Asian Americans Advancing Justice said in a statement.
Many companies, including Meta, McDonald’s And Walmart – have distanced themselves from DEI measures, with some canceling DEI initiatives and programs in recent weeks. Meanwhile, companies like Costco and Apple remained committed to maintaining their commitment to DEI.
New expectations for federal employers
The Trump administration would recognize only two sexes, male and female, which are unchangeable, and would require federal employers to use the term sex and not gender, which can refer to gender norms and identity, the Trump administration said. new White House official during a briefing. .
The U.S. official, without providing details, also said federal funding would not be used for gender-affirming care.
Federal transgender health care policy is largely affected by Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which prohibits discrimination in health care on the basis of sex.
During his first term, Trump issued regulations weaken this sectionwhich was further strengthened under former US President Joe Biden.
The Trump administration also planned to limit the scope of a major victory for transgender rights in the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, in which the High Court held that civil rights protections against discrimination “on the basis of sex” applied to sexuality and gender identity.
The attorney general will provide explicit guidance on how to enforce Bostock, the official said.
A recurring republican focus
Transgender rights have become a controversial political issue in recent years. During the November election season, many Republicans campaigned to overturn transgender laws, with a particular focus on transgender women’s participation in sports. Related messages were at the heart of some ads pushed by the Trump campaign and support groups, which collectively spent millions of dollars run these ads late in the campaign.
At a pre-inauguration rally on Sunday, Trump said he would take action to “stop all men from participating in women’s sports.”
It was not immediately clear what the executive orders would mean for the U.S. military. During his first term, Trump announced it would ban transgender troops of military service, and his administration froze the recruitment of transgender personnel. Biden overturned this decision when he takes office in 2021.
Brian Kalt, a constitutional law professor at Michigan State University, said that while presidents have executive power, some actions Trump has promised to implement — such as ending birthright citizenship – “will face an uphill battle in court.”
