Among the flurry of executive orders signed by President Trump on his first day in office was one stating that the United States would recognize only two sexes: male and female. The controversial order requires the U.S. government to use the term “sex” rather than “gender” — with Trump explaining during his inaugural address that, “this week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”
He added, “We will forge a society that is color blind and merit-based. … As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”
The order — one of more than 100 signed by Trump on day one — immediately drew backlash from the LGBTQ community and allies, including Ariana Grande, who shared an Instagram Story supporting the trans community following a 2024 election cycle in which the Trump campaign spent more than $21 million on anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ messaging.
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First, Grande re-posted a statement from Advocates for Trans Equality which read: “Today is a tough day for our community. The incoming administration campaigned on attacking trans people’s lives, healthcare and dignity and we’re bracing ourselves for what these extremists will try to do next. No matter what comes, we will protect each other.”
A second post from the organization defiantly predicted that the new administration’s stated agenda to roll-back many of the progressive, inclusive policies of the outgoing Biden administration would not deter them from their mission. “The incoming Trump administration, and the Project 2025 extremists who will staff it, are reacting to decades of progress made by our LGBTQI+ community by trying to drag us backward. But we have fought even harder battles before, and won. We’ll do it again.”
Grande, who has long been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ community, also included a screenshot from Trump’s inaugural address announcing the “two gender” rule with a re-post from A Bit Fruity podcast host Matt Bernstein, who wrote, “Okay, sure, whatever you say. But let’s be very clear: queer and trans people were here before donald trump and will continue to be here after he’s dead. whether or not you want us to exist is secondary to the simple fact that we do. the sun does not care if you sign an executive order telling it to stop rising each morning. it just continues to rise.”
According to the NIH, sex refers to biological characteristics, while gender refers to characteristics encompassing “gender identity and expression, as well as social and cultural expectations about status, characteristics and behavior as they are associated with certain sex traits.” The new order requires the government to use “sex” rather than “gender,” and mandates that ID documents issued by the government, such as passports and visas, be based on what it describes as “an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.”
The Human Rights Campaign vowed to fight the Trump administration’s attempt to roll back the rights or trans Americans, with the group’s president Kelly Robinson writing that, “Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect in all areas of their lives. No one should be subjected to ongoing discrimination, harassment and humiliation where they work, go to school, or access healthcare. But today’s executive actions targeting the LGBTQ+ community serve no other purpose than to hurt our families and our communities.”
The post noted that the order will take time to go into effect — while vowing to do “everything possible to protect our communities” — promising that the HRC’s lawyers are analyzing the wording now and will fight back against the executive order in the courts and in Congress. “We are not going anywhere,” the post added. “And we will fight back against these harmful provisions with everything we’ve got.”
The post included an additional encouraging message in the caption: “Let’s love and uplift each other today and every day with open hearts like never before.”
The band Garbage also reacted to Trump’s edict, writing on Instagram: “Queer, trans, intersex and non binary peoples have existed since the dawn of time. They will continue to exist whether you choose to recognize this or not. They will exist long past the current administration and long past all of our lifetimes. An enormous shout out to so many of our beautiful friends who have to wake up this morning feeling pressured and fearful. We stand with you all. You belong in this world as much as anyone else does. Of course you all know this. Only an uneducated person or an unnecessarily cruel person would think otherwise.
We send you our love this morning and every morning.”
The post ended with a positive message to the group’s many trans and queer fans. “You go on being beautiful you,” it read. “That’s what you do. Go baby go. We are right behind you.”
GLAAD also reacted to Trump’s comments, writing on Instagram, “When he says Make America Great Again, he clearly doesn’t mean it for all Americans.” That statement drew commentary from a couple of RuPaul’s Drag Race stars, including Niecy Nash, who posted a, “Nuh-uh” gif, while Cynthia Lee Fontaine added, “Trash. But we will continue to ensure we will continued with our rights. We will NOT be silent.”
Drag Race judge Michelle Visage also weighed in, writing in all caps, “YOU WILL NOT ERASE MY CHILD YOU POS.”
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