WASHINGTON (Gray News) – President Donald Trump took aim at gender identity during his inauguration speech and plans to follow up with an executive order.
“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump said.
Trump plans to sign an executive order Monday proclaiming that the U.S. government will recognize only two sexes, male and female.
Sex is to be defined based on whether people are born with eggs or sperm, rather than on their chromosomes.
Under the order, federal prisons and shelters for migrants and rape victims would be segregated by sex as defined by the order. Additionally, federal taxpayer money could not be used to fund “transition services.”
The order aims to require that the federal government use the term “sex” instead of “gender,” and directs the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to “ensure that official government documents, including passports and visas, reflect sex accurately.”
Trump previously said he is rolling back protections for transgender people and terminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government.
Both are major shifts for the federal policy and are in line with Trump’s campaign trail promises.
In 2022, the Biden administration allowed U.S. citizens to be able to select the gender-neutral “X” as a marker on their passports, according to NBC.
Trump was sworn in Monday as the 47th U.S. president taking charge as Republicans claim unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country’s institutions.
Copyright 2025 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.