The US federal government will officially recognize only two sexes, male and female, under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Monday. The order reverses efforts by the Biden administration to expand gender identity designations, including on passports.
In his inaugural address, Trump stated, “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.” This marks an early move to fulfill one of his culture war campaign promises.
Titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” the executive order declares that sexes are immutable and grounded in “fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” The federal government will also shift from using the term “gender” to “sex”, with sex being defined as an individual’s immutable biological classification.
Under the order:
- Official documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, will accurately reflect the holder’s biological sex.
- Single-sex spaces, including those in federal prisons, migrant shelters, and rape shelters, will be protected for privacy.
- Employee records and messaging will adhere to the executive order, eliminating the promotion of gender ideology.
- Federal funding will be scrutinized to ensure it is not used to promote gender ideology.
This move dismantles efforts initiated under President Biden to make government systems more inclusive of gender identification. The State Department previously allowed US citizens to select “X” as their gender marker on passports. Additionally, Social Security allowed Americans to change their sex identification without needing medical certification.
This executive order is part of Trump’s broader focus on issues related to gender identity and his commitment to returning to what he calls “biological truth”.
