First Orders From Trump Target Trans Community, DEI Programs
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In his first day as the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump is expected to issue more than 200 executive orders, and will target transgender rights and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The orders are part of what Trump’s administration are calling his “restoring sanity” agenda.
They include the termination of diversity and inclusion initiatives within federal agencies, and the declaration that the US government will only recognise two genders, unchanging, and assigned at birth.
“This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life,” Trump said in his inaugural address.
“We will forge a society that is colour blind and merit-based. … As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”
Federal agencies must now enforce an individual’s sex assigned at birth on government documents such as passports and visas. Facilities that group people by gender, such as prisons, women’s shelters, and homeless shelters, will also refer to gender assigned at birth, rather than someone’s gender identity.
According to a White House official, federal funds will also no longer be used to promote “gender ideology”, including medical transitioning procedures.
During his campaign, Trump promised to “end transgender lunacy” on day one of his presidency.
“I will sign executive orders to end child sexual mutilation, get transgender out of the military and out of our elementary schools and middle schools and high schools,” he said in a rally in December.
The additional rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives will threaten decades of hard-won policies created to address systemic disadvantages.
Queer advocacy groups speak out
Multiple queer rights groups have issued statements in the wake of Trump’s actions, promising to fight the upcoming changes.
“Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect in all areas of their lives,” Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
“No one should be subjected to ongoing discrimination, harassment, and humiliation where they work, go to school, or access healthcare. But today’s expected executive actions targeting the LGBTQ+ community serve no other purpose than to hurt our families and our communities.”
GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, said that queer people were “in all states, communities, families and workplaces” and deserve to be protected as any American would.
“On the day of the inauguration – which coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a celebration of one of our country’s most relentless civil rights heroes – we seek comfort in the long history of the fight for liberty and justice in America.
“We urge every reporter and all Americans to elevate everyone’s right to be themselves and be safe. Together we must hold the incoming administration to the promise of equal justice under law, and resist threats to our basic American right to live freely and with dignity.”
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