Trump is putting his foot down.
In a decisive move to uphold traditional values, federal government websites began removing content related to transgender issues on Friday, responding to an executive order from President Trump aimed at reversing the growing influence of gender ideology in government communications.
The action follows a directive earlier this week from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which ordered federal agencies to remove any content that promotes gender ideology. Agencies were given a deadline of 5 p.m. Friday to comply with the executive order, which seeks to ensure that all federal communications align with the principles of biological sex and safeguard the rights of women.
For example, the U.S. State Department made significant revisions to a webpage that previously provided information for “LGBTQI+ Travelers.” The page now refers only to “LGB,” removing references to the entire LGBTQI+ spectrum. Despite the abbreviation change, the content still advises travelers that many countries’ immigration systems only recognize “male” or “female” as valid sex markers.
Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) took down multiple pages related to transgender health issues. Pages covering topics like “Health Disparities Among LGBTQ Youth” and “Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth” were removed, in accordance with the new policy. Additionally, a Department of Health and Human Services webpage dedicated to “LGBTQI+ Resources” was also taken offline.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) removed its “Office for Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office” from its website, further signaling a retreat from the previous administration’s focus on gender identity issues.
While not all government content was scrubbed, the move reflects a significant pushback against the rise of gender ideology in federal policies. Critics of the previous administration’s policies argue that these changes undermine scientific understanding and the protection of women, but supporters of President Trump’s order see it as a necessary step to restore common sense and protect the integrity of biological sex in public life.
In a statement, OPM communications director McLaurine Pinover clarified that the intent behind the removal of gender-related content was not to shut down government websites but to ensure that federal communications no longer promote ideologies that conflict with traditional values. She emphasized that the administration’s efforts were focused on defending the rights of women and promoting clarity on the issue of biological sex.
President Trump’s executive order also calls for the removal of any federal funding that supports gender ideology and mandates that official government forms only ask for “male” or “female” when recording a person’s sex. In addition to the transgender content removal, the administration has also scrubbed references to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs from federal websites, in another effort to prioritize merit-based policies.
In response to reports that some government websites might be temporarily offline, Trump remarked that it “doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” adding, “DEI would have ruined our country, and now it’s dead.”
This move marks another victory for conservatives looking to rein in the expansion of gender-related policies and promote a return to traditional values within government institutions.