Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, 2025. The same day, his new administration issued an executive order titled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.
The short executive order will have a massive impact for the better on how the federal government addresses gender ideology.
The order states that “it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality… ‘Sex shall refer to an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.”
“Sex shall refer to an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.”
The White House has taken a stance rejecting gender ideology. The executive order states that gender ideology “replaces the biological category of sex with an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity, permitting the false claim that males can identify as and thus become women and vice versa, and requiring all institutions of society to regard this false claim as true. …Gender ideology is internally inconsistent in that it diminishes sex as an identifiable or useful category but nevertheless maintains that it is possible for a person to be born in the wrong sexed body.”
This executive order is very clear about anchoring its position in the principle of sex being definitively connected to biology. By calling gender ideology “ever shifting” and “internally inconsistent” the order shows the pointlessness of trying to ground policy in an unstable foundation.
Of course, it bears mentioning that a very small percentage of people are born with some disorder of sexual development (DSD), such as an extra or missing chromosome, abnormally high or low levels of sex hormones, or physical deformities in their genitalia. But these rare disorders are exceptions that prove the rule, not evidence that there are additional sexes besides male and female.
What will change?
This order will impact many aspects of the American federal government’s approach to sex and gender. For example, the policy clearly says that “‘Sex’ is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of ‘gender identity.’” All federal policies and documents will now use the term “sex” rather than “gender.” All federal government-issued IDs, such as passports, will only list a person’s biological sex. Entry into single-sex spaces such as bathrooms or change facilities will be similarly determined by biological sex rather than gender. All federal agencies will be banned from promoting gender ideology and the federal government will not be used to promote gender ideology.
A strong stand against medical transitions for minors
The initial executive order set the stage for a second executive order a week later. Entitled Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation, this executive order makes it the policy of the United States federal government that “it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called “transition” of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures” for those under 19 years of age.
The executive order on protecting children refers to medical transitioning minors as “chemical and surgical mutilation.”
The executive order on protecting children refers to medical transitioning minors as “chemical and surgical mutilation.” It also refutes the work of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) which tries to find evidence supporting medical transition for minors. The new policy explicitly rejects WPATH’s “gender-affirming care” approach and requires a review of the literature on best practices for treating gender dysphoria.
While the executive order doesn’t directly ban medical transitioning for minors, it uses every tool in the federal toolkit to discourage everything from puberty blockers to cross-sex hormones to surgical transitions. For example, it defunds medical transitioning and excludes medical transitioning from coverage under federal health insurance plans.
Another country heading in the right direction on gender ideology
The United States joins many other countries moving in the right direction on the issue of gender ideology. As we’ve shared in a previous article, many countries are questioning the evidence and putting the brakes on medical transitions for minors. The Cass Review in the United Kingdom has recommended against medical transitioning for minors and is now beginning to investigate medical transition for adults as well. Australian states are beginning to limit medical transitioning for minors. The government of New Zealand has recognized that there is a lack of good quality evidence to support puberty blockers for minors.
Canada seems to be moving in the right direction as well. Alberta recently passed three bills removing gender ideology from children’s education, health care, and sport. A recent Canadian study found little evidence to support medical transitioning. And Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative party leader and current frontrunner for Prime Minister in the next election, said that he is only aware of two genders.
With growing momentum building against the inconsistent and dangerous approach of modern gender ideology, let us continue to work towards a society that recognizes a biological view of sex and gender.