Donald Trump has signed 152 executive orders since the start of his term this year. The government runs our country with the goal to protect us. As a citizen it is important to know what is happening with the government and to be informed. In this article there are summaries of the executive orders that were signed this year that act on sex, gender, and equity.
“
I signed an order making it the official policy of the United States of America that there are only two genders, male and female
— Donald J. Trump
Order 14168: “DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT”
The executive order changes the meaning of the words “sex” and “gender”, gendered words such as “male” and “female”, and removes government documents relating LGBTQI+ topics.
The order removes a government definition of the word “gender” and orders that only the word “sex” be used in legal documents. “Sex” is classified as being connected to a person's unchangeable biological traits. “Women(s)” and “Girl(s)” only refer to people born as females (biological), “Men(s)” and “Boy(s)” only refer to biological males.
The order says that “Gender Ideology” (the study of gender and how it relates to society) replaces biological sex and science and allows “the false claim that males can identify as and thus become women and vice versa”. It also says that all things relating to gender ideology must be removed from public education.
The purpose of this bill is to change the meaning of sex and gender to fit a more biological idea rather than an emotional and mental idea, and to remove gender ideology from the government as a whole.
Order 14183: “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness”
This order focuses on making the military stronger by removing transgender people.
The order establishes that the military has been making sure members are “[f]ree of medical conditions or physical defects that may reasonably be expected to require excessive time lost from duty for necessary treatment or hospitalization.” This means that people who have physical or mental illnesses that can interfere with their duty will not be allowed to serve. The order classifies gender dysphoria (the feeling of a person's body not matching their gender identity) as a mental illness.
The order then establishes that transgender people express a false “gender identity” that “cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.” Then it is said that even if medical treatments are ignored, transgender soldiers are lying about their gender, and that goes against their commitment to an honorable and truthful lifestyle.
The final point of the order is that to keep our country safe, individuals who are in the military must be healthy and cannot need outside medical intervention (hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery). Everything in the order affects all branches under the Department of Defense.
The distinction between equality and equity. (
flickr.com )
Order 14190: “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K–12 Schooling”
This order focuses on making education more effective by acting on what is allowed to be in school curricula.
The order says that schools have been indoctrinating (to teach something without meaning or thought) students. Part of this indoctrination includes "Discriminatory Equity Ideology" (DEI). DEI in schools focuses on equity by ensuring everyone feels included, treated fairly, and respected. Equity means giving everyone what they need to succeed, but equality is giving everyone the same things. The order focuses on removing Equity and implementing equality.
Along with eliminating DEI, the order also wants to bring in “Patriotic Education”. Patriotic education is "a clear examination of how the United States has admirably grown closer to its noble principles throughout its history; the concept that commitment to America's aspirations is beneficial and justified; and the concept that celebration of America's greatness and history is proper."
Order 14173: “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”
This order focuses on getting rid of Equity and focusing on Equality in the work environment.
The order says that DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) is an immoral preference based on sex or race and can violate civil rights laws. DEI is when diversity is focused on in the work world, which means hiring employees of different races or genders to be more inclusive and make their workplace diverse.
The order also states that DEI goes against the work ethic of America because it involves hiring people based on their traits instead of their work qualifications. An important thing to note is that DEI almost never uses just traits as a reason, it just takes them into consideration.
The order also makes it so that “diversity” cannot be displayed by any people who work for the federal government, including educational institutions. Schools that receive funding from the federal government cannot hire based on personal characteristics or accept students using race or gender as a factor.
Impact on Connecticut
Something important to note about these orders is that CT is refusing to partake in the removal of DEI in education. The state is filing lawsuits against the federal government and the Trump Administration. States were issued letters to confirm their compliance with the DEI bill, and CT refused to sign it.
Although some of these orders may not affect you directly, they will have an impact on your friends, family, community, and the country as a whole. These orders are more than just a small change. There is a big shift happening in the world, and your opinions matter.
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