After years of witnessing the Biden administration's efforts to integrate gender ideology into American society, impacting women's sports, privacy, and fostering a culture of fear around pronouns, a shift is occurring under President Trump's leadership. This shift is evident in his executive orders addressing the controversial topic of gender identity, particularly concerning minors.
Trump's initial executive order mandates federal agencies to acknowledge biological sex as the determinant of gender, requires federal IDs to align with biological sex, prohibits men from entering women's federal prisons, and safeguards women's privacy in sex-segregated spaces. Subsequent orders focus on halting the practice of transitioning minors, which the order terms "chemical and surgical mutilation of children." These orders aim to prohibit federal funding for transition-related medical interventions for minors, challenge the scientific basis used to justify these procedures, defund hospitals engaging in such practices, and initiate a comprehensive review of studies on addressing gender dysphoria in children.
This initiative aims to increase transparency and potentially influence U.S. medical organizations to reconsider their stance on medical transitions for minors, aligning with the growing trend in European nations to restrict such procedures for children. Trump's stance has been met with public support, reflecting a broader societal rejection of gender ideology. This shift is further emphasized by his executive order "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," which seeks to eliminate gender ideology and critical race theory from public school curricula.
These actions aim to counter the narrative that children might be born in the wrong body, a message amplified by social media, entertainment, and some medical groups, which has led many children down a path of irreversible changes. Kristen Waggoner, CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, highlights the experiences of de-transitioners who face lifelong consequences, emphasizing the importance of allowing children to grow out of gender confusion naturally. With 85% of children reportedly overcoming such feelings with appropriate care and counseling, these executive orders aim to provide that opportunity. Waggoner sees these actions as a positive shift towards protecting children and restoring common sense to the discussion surrounding gender identity.
