On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order affirming that the United States officially recognizes only two biological sexes: male and female.

Signed at a ceremony reminiscent of his first presidential term, Trump’s directive reverses multiple policies from the previous Biden administration that embraced gender diversity and recognition of transgender identities.

Trump’s executive order explicitly defines “sex” as an immutable biological classification established at conception. The new policy not only rejects the concept of gender identity as a basis for federal law and policy but also mandates federal agencies to adhere strictly to biologically based definitions in their regulations and communications.

A Stand on Biological Reality

In his order, Trump declared a defense of truth and science, asserting that efforts to redefine sex erode women’s rights and threaten public trust in government institutions. He condemned “gender ideology” as an attack on the integrity of language and public policy.

“Efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex fundamentally attack women by depriving them of their dignity, safety, and well-being,” stated the order. “Basing federal policy on truth is critical to scientific inquiry, public safety, morale, and trust in government itself.”

This action directly contradicts the 2020 Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which broadened Title VII protections of the Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Trump’s order rejects the interpretation that this ruling requires gender-identity-based access to single-sex spaces, such as bathrooms and women’s shelters.

Key Provisions of the Order

The executive order establishes several major mandates:

• Definitional Clarity: Terms like “woman” and “girl” are restricted to adult and juvenile human females, while “man” and “boy” refer solely to males. The definitions of “male” and “female” are tied to reproductive biology.

• Agency Compliance: All federal agencies are required to update their policies, forms, and communications to align with the binary definition of sex. Documents like passports and personnel records must reflect biological sex rather than gender identity.

• Privacy Protections: The order bans males from women’s prisons and shelters, emphasizing the protection of intimate spaces designated for one biological sex.

• Policy Overhaul: Federal agencies must remove guidance, regulations, and funding that promote what the order describes as “gender ideology.”

Legislative Push and Broader Implications

Trump’s executive action rescinds multiple executive orders from former-president Joe Biden’s administration, including measures that promoted LGBTQ+ rights. For example, the White House Gender Policy Council, established by a 2021 order, has been dissolved.

The order also directs the Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs to draft a bill codifying its definitions into federal law, signaling Trump’s intent to extend these changes beyond executive authority. If implemented into statutory law, this shift could lead to broader legal battles over the interpretation and application of civil rights protections.

While the order carries immediate implications for federal agencies, its broader social and political effects are likely to fuel an already intense national debate over gender, identity, and the role of government in defining fundamental terms of human existence. 

As the nation watches this development unfold, the former president’s declaration of a two-gender nation sets the stage for renewed cultural and political conflict, positioning biological definitions at the forefront of America’s ongoing conversation about rights, identity, and truth.