By Bianca Flowers and Gram Slattery
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President-elect Donald Trump will issue executive orders upon taking office slashing diversity, equity and inclusion programs and proclaiming that the U.S. federal government will only recognize two sexes, male and female, an incoming White House official said on Monday.
The official added that more actions on DEI – as diversity and inclusion programs are often referred to – were expected “very soon.”
The incoming administration plans to review and potentially end what the official described as “discriminatory programs,” including environmental justice grants and diversity training initiatives. Full details weren’t immediately revealed about the planned steps to rescind the orders or when they would be announced.
The impending DEI rollback and Trump’s inauguration coincide with this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday commemorating the civil rights leader. The action is likely to draw immediate condemnation from civil and human rights advocates and groups who have said any DEI rollbacks implemented by Trump would be a blow to hard-fought efforts to secure equitable policies.
The move, they said, would undermine progress made to address systemic prejudices that have deprived equal opportunities for marginalized groups for decades.
Many corporations have distanced themselves from DEI measures, with some rolling back DEI initiatives and programs in recent weeks. Meanwhile, companies such as Costco and Apple have remained resolute in maintaining their commitment to DEI.
As part of the executive orders, federal funds will not be used to promote “gender ideology,” the official said, a loose term often used to reference any ideology that promotes non-traditional views on sex and gender. “Gender ideology” is a term often used by conservatives and some organizations to argue against LGBTQ+ or gender rights. It’s viewed as an anti-LGBTQ trope and dehumanizing term by rights and gender advocacy groups.
U.S. funding will also not be used on gender transition medical procedures, the official said.
Transgender rights have become a contentious political topic in recent years. During November’s election season, many Republicans campaigned on reversing transgender laws with a particular focus on transgender women participating in sports.
During a pre-inauguration rally on Sunday, Donald Trump said that he will take action to “keep all men out of women’s sports.” He’s also pledged to restrict gender-affirming care.
It was not immediately clear what the executive orders would mean for the U.S. military. During his first term, Trump announced that he would ban transgender troops from serving in the military, and his administration did freeze recruitment of transgender personnel. President Joe Biden overturned that decision when he took office in 2021.
The two executive orders on DEI and gender issues were part of a stampede of orders on topics ranging from immigration to energy that were previewed by incoming White House officials on Monday morning.
Trump was set to take office at noon ET (1700 GMT) on Monday.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery, Bianca Flowers and Susan Heavey; Editing by Howard Goller, Kat Stafford and Andrea Ricci)
