One order would declare that the federal government would recognize only two immutable sexes: male and female. The definition will be based on the gender of the individual at birth. The change is being pitched as a way to protect women from “gender extremism.”
Under the order, federal prisons and shelters for migrants and rape victims would be segregated by sex as defined by the order.
And federal taxpayer money could not be used to fund “transition services.” A small number of federal prison inmates have had gender-affirming surgery and more have had treatments such as hormone therapy paid for with federal funds.
A separate order aims to halt federal agencies' DEI programs. Conservatives have long condemned them, arguing they violate the Constitution by using preferences based on race, gender and sexual orientation. Trump got big cheers at a rally in Washington on Sunday when he said he'd end DEI requirements from the military and schools.
Trump officials said it's fitting the order is being delivered on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as it aims to return to the idea that one day all Americans can be treated on the basis of their character and not by the color of their skin.
Trump referred to that in his inauguration speech Monday, saying: “We will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true." He later added: “We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based.”
