Trump rolls back transgender rights and DEI

Executive orders aim to eliminate ‘radical gender ideology guidance’ and review diversity initiatives in federal policies and programs

President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders reversing protections for transgender rights and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs established during former President Joe Biden’s administration.

The move, announced on Trump’s first day back in office, has drawn immediate backlash from civil rights groups.

One of the orders, titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” directs federal agencies to remove policies supporting gender identity protections.

The order asserts that “there are only two genders, male and female” and mandates agencies to update official documents like passports and visas accordingly. It also prohibits taxpayer funding for gender transition services in prisons. Trump highlighted the order during his inaugural address, according to the administration.

The executive order claims, “Efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex fundamentally attack women by depriving them of their dignity, safety, and well-being. The erasure of sex in language and policy has a corrosive impact not just on women but on the validity of the entire American system.”

The second order overturns Biden’s 2021 executive action, which required federal agencies to review policies that could negatively affect transgender individuals. Instead, Trump’s directive calls for a review of diversity and equity initiatives, which he described as discriminatory. This review could result in the termination of environmental justice grants, diversity training, and other similar programs.

Civil rights groups swiftly condemned the measures. “We refuse to back down or be intimidated… We will fight back against these harmful provisions with everything we’ve got,” Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement.

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Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a prominent advocacy organization, also criticized the rollback, vowing to protect vulnerable communities and continue fighting discrimination.

These changes reflect a broader national trend. While some corporations have scaled back DEI programs, companies like Costco and Apple remain committed to diversity policies. At the same time, others, including Meta, McDonald’s, and Walmart, have significantly reduced their DEI initiatives. Meta recently dismantled its DEI department, citing a shifting legal and policy landscape. McDonald’s has scaled back diversity targets for senior leadership, and Walmart announced plans to retire certain diversity terms and initiatives.

The Trump administration framed the policy changes as an effort to restore “biological truth” and remove perceived bias in government initiatives. Rights organizations have indicated their intention to challenge these orders through court action and public advocacy.