President Donald Trump signs executive order limiting the rights of transgender Americans

President Donald Trump delivered an expected blow to transgender Americans on Monday when he signed an executive order “defending women from radical gender ideology extremism.”

“Across the country, ideologues who deny the biological reality of sex have increasingly used legal and other socially coercive means to permit men to self-identify as women and gain access to intimate single-sex spaces and activities designed for women, from women’s domestic abuse shelters to women’s workplace showers,” the order states. “This is wrong.”

The order rolls back more than a dozen Biden-era policies that support trans people. It also declares that the U.S. government will only recognize a person’s sex assigned at birth, and will not use the word “gender” on any policies and documents. The order will require federal agencies, such as the State Department and Department of Homeland Security, to remove “nonbinary” or “other” gender options from passports, visas, and other forms of identification.

Trans women will also now be prohibited from “intimate spaces,” such as women’s prisons or jails, or domestic violence shelters.

Trump signed the executive order at the Oval Office Monday evening with no fanfare, save for making a short “ooh” sound before applying his signature while taking questions from reporters. It was one of the last executive orders the president signed his first evening in office.

The order also requires that all federal agencies remove any “statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications, or other internal and external messages” that “promote” or acknowledge the inclusion of transgender people — including asking about a person’s preferred gender pronouns.

Further, the order calls for an “end federal funding of gender ideology” and will require government agencies to “assess grant conditions and grantee preferences and ensure grant funds do not promote gender ideology.”

During his campaign, Trump spent almost $20 million on anti-trans attack ads, which blamed former Vice President Kamala Harris for supporting transgender inmates’ access to gender-affirming medical care.

“Kamala is for they/them,” one ad said. “Trump is for you.”

Last month at a Turning Point event, he promised that “with the stroke of my pen, on day one, we’re going to end this transgender lunacy.”

He kept his word, but LGBTQ advocates and lawmakers are encouraging members of the LBGTQ community to remember what their rights are before these orders take effect.

“President Trump’s executive order, while terrible, is not shocking,” said the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus in a joint statement Monday.

“It is important for our community to remember that the impacts from these orders are neither immediate nor permanent. It will take time for these orders to work through their respective federal agencies and there will be opportunities for California to weigh in on behalf of Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex people.

Executive orders have no jurisdiction over state departments and agencies. We here in California will continue to uphold an individual’s fundamental right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Caucus is prepared to push legislation in the new Legislative session that “will provide greater protections for all Californians from the Trump Administration.”

Democratic Lawmakers will also have the support of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose justice department will soon be equipped with $25 million to fight Trump’s policies in court.

“This will be a long four years, but this Caucus is ready to stand up for those targeted and bullied for being simply who they are, just as we did during the last Trump Administration,” members said.

The Human Rights Campaign also issued a statement about the “barrage of executive actions taking aim at the LGBTQ+ community.”

“Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect in all areas of their lives. No one should be subjected to ongoing discrimination, harassment and humiliation where they work, go to school, or access healthcare. But today’s expected executive actions targeting the LGBTQ+ community serve no other purpose than to hurt our families and our communities,” said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson.

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, which provides gender-affirming health care along with reproductive health care and abortion procedures, is prepared to stand up to Trump’s policies as well.

“While we cannot predict what the future holds and what the Trump administration may do in the coming days to further abolish fundamental freedoms and restrict abortion access nationwide — whether it be through executive action, federal agency rules, judicial judgments, budget cuts, or other tactics — we’re ready for whatever comes next,” said PPAC President and CEO, Jodi Hicks.

“To our supporters: Planned Parenthood’s commitment to providing quality, affordable, comprehensive sexual, reproductive, and gender-affirming health care will never change and we will continue to hold all politicians accountable for their actions that impact access to essential health care.”

This story was originally published January 20, 2025 at 6:19 PM with the headline "President Donald Trump signs executive order limiting the rights of transgender Americans."