Federal government scrubs transgender language from websites

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site changed the title of an article called “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant People” to “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women.” / Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 4, 2025 / 15:55 pm (CNA).

Many federal government agencies have changed or removed transgender wording on their websites to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order on gender ideology.

Trump issued the order, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, on his first day in office. According to the White House, the policies are meant to “defend women’s rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female and men are biologically male.”

The order specified: “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”

Since the order was issued multiple federal agencies have altered their websites. Here’s a look at some of the changes in website messaging since Trump took office.

The U.S. Department of State

A U.S. Department of State webpage offering travel advisories changed a listing from “LGBTGIA+ Travel Information” to “LGB Travel Information.”

Screenshot of the U.S. Department of State’s “LGBTQIA+ Travel Information” page prior to implementing the executive order. Credit: U.S. Department of State
Screenshot of the U.S. Department of State’s “LGBTQIA+ Travel Information” page prior to implementing the executive order. Credit: U.S. Department of State

Screenshot of the U.S. Department of State’s “LGB Travel Information” page after changing the language to comply with the new order. Credit: U.S. Department of State
Screenshot of the U.S. Department of State’s “LGB Travel Information” page after changing the language to comply with the new order. Credit: U.S. Department of State

The U.S. Department of State also removed the “X” gender marker on all consular forms, making it only possible to select “male” or “female.”

The website’s change coincides with a Trump administration directive to no longer process passport applications submitted using the “X” option.

Copy of the previous federal passport form with “X” option and “gender” section. Credit: U.S. Department of State
Copy of the previous federal passport form with “X” option and “gender” section. Credit: U.S. Department of State

Photo of the latest federal passport form with no “X” option and the updated sex identification section. Credit: U.S. Department of State
Photo of the latest federal passport form with no “X” option and the updated sex identification section. Credit: U.S. Department of State

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website includes a notice that it is being “modified to comply with President Trump’s executive orders.”

The site renamed an article called “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant People,” to “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women.”

The site changed the title of an article called “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant People,” to “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women.” Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The site changed the title of an article called “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant People,” to “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women.” Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The CDC also removed data specific to LGBT and gender ideology. This included a “fast facts” page with information regarding HIV among transgender people. The website also took down contraceptive guidance pages for health care providers.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons

The Federal Bureau of Prisons removed its “Transgender Offender Manual,” which explained how the bureau provided “gender-affirming services to transgender individuals.”

A search on its website now alerts users: “This content is temporarily unavailable as we implement the executive order on ‘Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.’”

Screenshot of the Department of Justice’s “Transgender Manual,” which is no longer available on the Bureau of Prisons website. Credit: Federal Bureau of Prisons
Screenshot of the Department of Justice’s “Transgender Manual,” which is no longer available on the Bureau of Prisons website. Credit: Federal Bureau of Prisons

Screenshot of the Bureau of Prisons’ website if users click the “Transgender Inmate Manual” PDF. Credit: Federal Bureau of Prisons
Screenshot of the Bureau of Prisons’ website if users click the “Transgender Inmate Manual” PDF. Credit: Federal Bureau of Prisons

The U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census Bureau’s webpage on “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” has been removed. Other pages on its website, including “Mental Health Struggles Higher Among LGBT Adults Than Non-LGBT Adults in All Age Groups,” are also not currently active. According to site archives, both pages were available last week.

Screenshot of the archived page titled “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.” Credit: U.S. Census Bureau
Screenshot of the archived page titled “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.” Credit: U.S. Census Bureau

Screenshot of the new search result for “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” on the U.S. Census Bureau’s website. Credit: U.S. Census Bureau
Screenshot of the new search result for “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” on the U.S. Census Bureau’s website. Credit: U.S. Census Bureau

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2 Comments

  1. Hooray! I’m wondering if in the future, people will look back on the LGBTQ+ time in American history and say, “What were we thinking?!”

    I am still concerned about young children and teens, especially those who were caught up into this fantasy world and are uncertain about their own identity because of parents who are determined to be “woke” no matter what their orange-haired nemesis says and signs into law.

    If people keep telling you that you’re a duck and dressing you in feathers and a blue navy jacket (but no pants) and feeding you corn mash, and quacking to you instead of talking, and making you sleep in a pool instead of a bedroom, eventually you’ll accept as fact that you are a duck.

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