Donald Trump's government declares that trans & nonbinary people don't exist

As one of his first executive orders since returning to office on Monday, President Donald Trump declared that the federal government would no longer recognize transgender people. The sweeping directive, titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," defines sex as strictly male or female based on the "immutable biological reality of sex" characteristics at birth. The new Republican administration claims this move will "defend women's rights" and restore "trust in government itself," as reported by The Advocate.

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The political order explicitly states, "It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality." It further asserts that "gender ideology replaces the biological category of sex with an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity," calling it a "false claim" that must be eliminated from federal policy. The medical community, including all major medical associations in America, acknowledges the existence of transgender and nonbinary identities.

The executive order goes beyond semantics, mandating changes with immediate and far-reaching consequences. It directs federal agencies to rewrite policies and remove references to gender identity. Passports, social security records, and other government-issued identification documents will now be required to reflect only an individual's sex assigned at birth. Schools, shelters, and workplaces that receive federal funding will no longer be required to accommodate transgender individuals' gender identities. In prisons and detention centers, the order directs that transgender women be housed with men, regardless of their safety or lived identity.

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The order also rescinds federal funding for gender-affirming health care, which medical professionals, including the American Medical Association, have identified as life-saving. Gender-affirming care is supported by decades of research showing its effectiveness in reducing depression and suicide rates among transgender people.

By targeting Title IX and other civil rights protections, the executive order eliminates federal safeguards designed to prevent discrimination based on gender identity in schools, workplaces, and public accommodations. Trump's administration frames this move as a rejection of "radical ideology," claiming, "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 executive order marks the start of what Trump calls a broader effort to dismantle federal policies addressing gender identity, with the White House promising further measures to "restore biological truth."