WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump will issue executive orders upon taking office slashing diversity, equity and inclusion programs and proclaiming that the US federal government will only recognise two sexes, male and female, an incoming White House official said on Monday (Jan 20).
The official added that more actions on DEI – as diversity and inclusion programs are often referred to – were expected very soon, but gave no other details about the planned steps or when they would be announced.
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.
US funding will also not be used on transition medical procedures, the official said.
It was not immediately clear what the executive orders would mean for the US 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. 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 on Monday (Tuesday, 1am, Singapore time).
