537 events on record Subscribe June 30, 2026
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Trump signed EO 14168 eliminating federal recognition of transgender identity, revoking X passport marker and barring affirming facilities

On January 20, 2025, his first day in office, President Trump signed Executive Order 14168, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," establishing a federal policy that sex is a binary, immutable biological characteristic and directing all federal agencies to eliminate recognition of gender identity across communications, forms, data systems, and policies. The order directed the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to eliminate the "X" gender marker from all federal identity documents and barred transgender people from using sex-segregated federal facilities consistent with their gender identity. It also directed agencies to end all funding, training, and programs acknowledging gender identity.

Jurisdiction
federal
Location
Washington, D.C.

Abuses documented

Actors

On January 20, 2025, his first day in office, President Trump signed Executive Order 14168, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," establishing a government-wide policy that sex is a binary, immutable biological characteristic determined at conception. The order required all federal agencies to replace usages of "gender" with "sex" across all federal communications, forms, data systems, and policies, and to immediately cease funding, training, and promotion of any programs acknowledging gender identity. No transition period was provided.

The order directed the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to eliminate the "X" gender marker from all federal identity documents — passports, visas, and Global Entry cards — and to reissue documents reflecting only male or female designations. Approximately 30,000 Americans holding X-marker passports were left in legal limbo. The order additionally barred transgender people from using restrooms, prisons, and other sex-segregated federal facilities consistent with their gender identity, affecting federal employees, immigration detainees, and federal prisoners.

EO 14168 is distinct from companion EO 14172 (same date), which ended DEI programs within the federal government, and EO 14187 (January 28, 2025, #575 in archive), which targeted gender-affirming care funding. Downstream implementing actions include the Rubio State Department cable denying visas to transgender athletes (February 24, 2025, #561) and the CBP binary sex marker directive (July 7, 2025).

Updates

February 13, 2025: Judge John Bates issued a temporary restraining order requiring CDC, FDA, and HHS to restore webpages retracted in compliance with the order. March 4, 2025: A federal court issued a partial block of EO 14168 in response to civil rights organization lawsuits. June 17, 2025: District Judge Julia Kobick certified a nationwide class and extended a preliminary injunction blocking the passport X-marker ban (Orr v. Trump, D. Mass.). November 6, 2025: The U.S. Supreme Court stayed the Orr v. Trump injunction, restoring enforcement of the X-marker ban while appellate litigation continued. June 3, 2025: Judge Lamberth granted a separate preliminary injunction and certified a class of transgender federal prison inmates challenging EO 14168's prison facility provisions (PFLAG v. Trump). Sources: ACLU; SCOTUS stay order; GLAD Law.

Why we recorded this

Equal protection principles prohibit the federal government from singling out a class of people for exclusion from public life based on who they are. EO 14168 imposed a government-wide policy denying legal recognition to transgender and non-binary Americans across every federal agency, stripping identity documents, barring facility access consistent with gender identity, and defunding any program that acknowledged gender identity — in a single action on the first day of the administration, without legislative process. Approximately 30,000 Americans holding X-marker passports were left in legal limbo with no transition period. The archive records this as the most sweeping single executive action targeting transgender Americans in U.S. history, establishing a template later extended by downstream implementing directives across multiple agencies.

Sources

  1. Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government — White House primary accessed June 29, 2026
  2. Federal Register Vol. 90, No. 20 — EO 14168 — Federal Register primary accessed June 29, 2026
  3. Executive Order on Women and Gender (90 FR 8615) — American Immigration Lawyers Association secondary accessed June 29, 2026

See also