Trump’s executive order on gender

 

1. On his very first day in office, US President Donald Trump issued a slew of executive orders which rolled back protections to LGBTQIA+ persons extended by the Biden administration
    
2. According to the order, “it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female”, and that the term “gender identity” is “disconnected from biological reality and sex”.
    
3. Sex vs Gender:

Aspect	Sex	Gender
Definition	Biological characteristics that define male and female bodies.	Social and cultural roles, behaviours, and identities that societies consider appropriate for men and women.
Attributes	Chromosomes, hormones, genitalia.	Expectations, roles, norms, and behaviours.
Determination	Assigned at birth based on physical anatomy.	Can be self-identified and may differ from the sex assigned at birth.
Categories	Male, Female, Intersex.	Man, Woman, Non-binary, Genderqueer, etc.
Fluidity	Generally considered fixed and binary (although intersex variations exist).	Can be fluid and encompass a spectrum of identities.
Influence	Biological and physical factors.	Social, cultural, and individual factors.

• This distinction between sex and gender plays a significant role in the foundation of the LGBTQ movement, as gender identity (how one identifies) may not align with sex assigned at birth. Also, sexual orientation (who one is attracted to) is independent of both sex and gender.
   

3. What are the expected implications of the order in the US?
 

1. Protection of women’s rights: By preventing men to self-identify as women and gain access to intimate spaces like washrooms and activities designed for women such as sports events.
2. Cut in federal funding, for schools that were “pushing radical gender ideology”.
3. Government-issued identification documents including passports and visas will only reflect the sex a person is assigned at birth, and not their gender identity.
4. Changes to Federal medical insurance coverage, which could no longer include costs for gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and gender affirming surgeries.