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Executive Order 14166

"Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government"
Type	Executive order
Signed by	Donald Trump on January 20, 2025 (2025-01-20)
Summary
Established federal policies regarding sex and gender identity across federal government agencies

Executive Order 14166, titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government, is an executive order signed by United States President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, during the first day of his second presidential term.

The order proposes that gender identity and "gender ideology" be rejected by the federal government, and that measures be introduced to uphold and protect "sex-based rights". It would require federal departments (including on documents such as passports) to only recognize male or female as genders explicitly defined as the biological sex assigned at conception, that various pro-transgender policies adopted by the Biden administration be rescinded, that the federal government be prohibited from promoting or funding the promotion of "gender ideology", and that federal prisons be segregated by biological sex and not use federal funding to provide gender-affirming care to inmates.

Background

The Biden administration implemented several policies supporting transgender rights and gender identity recognition in federal institutions. Notable among these was the March 31, 2023 guidance from the United States Office of Personnel Management, which mandated accurate reflection of federal employees' gender identities in workplace documentation. Additionally, in March 2022, the State Department had introduced the option for passport applicants to select "X" as their gender marker, in order to accommodate nonbinary, intersex, and gender non-conforming individuals.

During his second inaugural speech, Donald Trump promised that he would make it official federal government policy for there to be "only two genders, male and female".

Provisions

The order was premised on the Trump administration's position that recent enacted by policies had undermined biological distinctions between sexes. The directive expressed concern about what it termed "ideologues who deny the biological reality of sex" and claimed they and their recently enacted policies had negatively impacted women's rights, safety, and well-being. The administration positioned the order as necessary for maintaining scientific integrity and public trust in government, opposing an "ongoing and purposeful attack" against traditional biological and scientific terminology.

Section 2

Section 2 of the order establishes formal federal definitions of key terms, defining sex as an "immutable biological classification" determined at conception and explicitly separating it from the concept of gender identity. It established definitions for "women," "men," "girls," and "boys" based on biological sex, with "female" specifically defined as belonging to the sex that can produce "large reproductive cells" and "male" as belonging to the sex that can produce "small reproductive cells". The section also provided formal definitions of "gender ideology" and "gender identity", characterizing the former as a framework that replaces biological categories with "ever-shifting" self-assessed identity, and the latter as a "subjective sense of self disconnected from biological reality".

Section 3

Section 3 outlined implementation requirements across federal agencies. The Department of Health and Human Services was given 30 days to provide expanded guidance on the sex-based definitions. All federal agencies and employees were directed to enforce sex-based rights and protections using the order's definitions, with specific requirements for terminology use in official documents and communications.

The section also directed changes to government identification documents through the Departments of State and Homeland Security, requiring passports, visas, and other documents to reflect biological sex as defined in the order. It prohibited the use of federal funds to promote "gender ideology", prohibited its promotion all internal and external federal communications, and mandated the removal of related existing content.

Section 4

Section 4 establishes specific policies regarding sex-segregated facilities, citing Part 115.41 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations and the Americans with Disabilities Act. It directs the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure biological sex-based assignments in federal prisons and detention centers. The Department of Housing and Urban Development was instructed to revise policies regarding single-sex facilities, particularly affecting rape shelters. The Bureau of Prisons was directed to modify medical care policies and prohibit the use of federal funds towards any kind of gender-affirming medications or medical procedures.

Sections 5-8

Section 5 directed the Attorney General to issue guidance protecting expression regarding "the binary nature of sex" and "single-sex spaces in workplaces and federally funded entities". It established priorities for civil rights investigations and litigation related to these issues.

Section 6 issues requirements for the White House Director of Legislative Affairs to present proposed legislation codifying the order's definitions within 30 days.

Section 7 explicitly rescinds multiple Biden administration executive orders— including orders 13988, 14004, 14020, 14021, and 14075— and dissolved the White House Gender Policy Council. It also listed specific guidance documents promoting gender ideology to be rescinded, particularly from the Department of Education. Federal agencies were given 120 days to report on their compliance efforts through the Office of Management and Budget.

Section 8 outlined general legal provisions regarding the order's implementation and scope, which included a severability clause ensuring partial invalidity would not affect the entire order.

Response

Several LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations strongly condemned the executive order. The Human Rights Campaign immediately expressed opposition to these executive actions. Their president, Kelley Robinson, characterized the orders as potentially harmful to LGBTQ+ families and communities. The organization announced plans to challenge these executive actions through both legislative and judicial channels. Advocates for Trans Equality stated that it would continue to protect national transgender rights.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice stated that it would continue to "confront hate and discrimination in all its forms".

The order explicitly defines gender as being determined by the person's sex at conception. It has been pointed out by scientists that this definition makes it impossible for a person to be classified as male, since the Sex-determining region Y protein does not begin to cause the development of male-specific organs in the embryo (otherwise considered to be female or in a unisex state) until six weeks after conception.

See also

• List of executive orders in the second presidency of Donald Trump
• Transphobia in the United States

References

1. ^ "Trump administration to acknowledge only a person's gender assigned at birth, officials say". ABC News. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
2. ^ Pengelly, Martin (2025-01-21). "Trump rolls back trans and gender-identity rights and takes aim at DEI". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
3. ^ "Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government". The White House. 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
4. Saric, Ivana (2025-01-21). "Trump targets transgender protections in new executive order". Axios. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
5. "Trump's Executive Order Against Trans People Technically Makes Every American Female". IFLScience. 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-21.

External links

• Presidential Actions

• Executive orders of Donald Trump
• LGBTQ history in the United States