Trump’s hammer falls on transgender people—I

On January 20, 2025, immediately following his inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”

This order mandates that all federal agencies recognize only two sexes — male and female — as determined at birth, effectively eliminating federal recognition of transgender and non-binary identities.

The order states: “Sex refers to the immutable biological classification of male or female as determined at conception. The executive order directs federal agencies to replace the term “gender” with “sex” in official documents and policies, cease funding for gender-affirming care, and prohibit the promotion of what it terms “gender ideology.”

It also rescinds previous policies that allowed individuals to self-identify their gender on federal documents such as passports and mandates that federal facilities, including prisons and shelters, assign individuals to sex-segregated spaces based on their biological sex assigned at birth.

In addition to this order, President Trump signed another executive order on January 28, 2025, aimed at prohibiting federal support for gender transitions for individuals under 19 years old.

This order directs federal insurance programs, including Medicaid and TRICARE, to exclude coverage for gender-affirming care for minors and encourages legal action against healthcare providers offering such services.

Transgender rights in the U.S. have evolved significantly over time, shaped by different presidential administrations.

The Obama administration (2009–2017) implemented policies recognizing gender identity in federal laws, issued guidance allowing transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity, and removed the ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the military.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025