Trump’s executive order restricting federal recognition of gender identity ignites significant opposition and legal battles, particularly from LGBTQ advocacy groups
In a bold move that has ignited fierce debate, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 21, 2025, declaring that the federal government will only recognize “two sexes,” male and female. This order reverses previous policies, such as the inclusion of “X” as an option on passports, and imposes sweeping changes on how the government acknowledges gender.
The executive order mandates that all federal documents, including visas and passports, must reflect a person’s sex assigned at birth, removing options for individuals to mark “other” or “X.” This move is part of Trump’s broader effort to reshape gender policy, which has drawn support from conservatives but sparked backlash from LGBTQ rights groups and legal experts.
The order states that federal funds will not be used to promote “gender ideology,” a term often criticized by LGBTQ advocates as an attempt to dehumanize transgender and nonbinary people. The executive order also mandates that the Bureau of Prisons revise policies related to medical care for inmates seeking to transition, preventing federal funding for gender-affirming treatments.
Legal experts, including Thomas Berry of the Cato Institute, have questioned the order’s compatibility with the 2020 Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which prohibited discrimination based on gender identity. Some of the order’s provisions may clash with this precedent, sparking potential legal challenges from LGBTQ rights organizations like the ACLU and Lambda Legal.
In response to the order, the ACLU’s Chase Strangio vowed to challenge its implementation, particularly concerning the retroactive effects it may have on documents like passports. Meanwhile, conservative groups, such as the Heritage Foundation, have lauded Trump’s move, arguing it protects women and girls from policies they perceive as favoring gender ideologies over biological sex.
The executive order is part of a broader pattern of actions that Trump has taken, such as attempting to end birthright citizenship and pardoning individuals involved in the January 6 insurrection. As the legal battles unfold, both supporters and detractors of the policy prepare for what is expected to be a long and contentious fight over gender rights and recognition in America.
