Latest news with #GenderIdeology
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Trump administration banned chosen names at FDA, CDC, NIH under new gender policy
Employees of the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are being told to use their legal names in official systems, a move the agencies say is in response to President Donald Trump's executive order that reversed protections for transgender people. The policies affect transgender employees who use a name that aligns with their gender identity rather than the sex they were assigned at birth. But the policies can also affect married women who choose to go by their maiden names at work, and people who go by middle names, initials, or shorten their first names, for example, from James to Jim. The FDA, CDC, and NIH policies go beyond a January directive from the Office of Personnel Management that ordered agencies to purge contracts and content related to gender identity and turn off features on email platforms 'that prompt users for their pronouns.' Both agencies are part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Media representatives for the White House, the HHS, NIH, and the CDC did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. The FDA website refers media inquiries to HHS. A March 14 memo to FDA employees obtained by USA TODAY said HHS policy only allows employees to use 'full legal name' in their email signatures and cannot use pronouns or what the agency calls 'nicknames.' The memo said it was in response to Trump's Jan. 20 executive order called 'Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.' The order declared that the government only recognized two sexes ‒ male and female ‒ that it says are determined at conception. The CDC and the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases told employees March 13 in nearly identical memos that employees had until the end of the day to remove pronouns and "nicknames" from email signatures, and that they could only use "full legal names." Both memos cited guidance from HHS. The NIH sent a similar memo March 21 announcing that the agency was removing 'preferred name' information in an internal contact system in order to comply with HHS policy on 'nicknames' and the 'Defending Women' executive order. The email also warned employees against changing their legal names in the system: 'Please be aware that any change to your legal name in (the database) will trigger a new background check and a new HHS badge request.' HHS news: RFK Jr.: Chronic diseases need top billing, not infectious diseases like measles and COVID "It's showing how far they're willing to go for an anti-trans agenda," said Adrian Shanker, the former deputy assistant secretary for HHS under former President Joe Biden, who led LGBTQ+ policymaking. An NIH employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation criticized the move as an attack on transgender employees that goes against the agency's tradition of trans inclusion. "They work with scientists and scientists tend to be people who understand the basics of the diversity of humans," Shanker said. He said that meant the agency historically "brought in a workforce that believe in being an inclusive work environment and I think that's one of the reasons it's so shocking." Lindsay Dhanani, an associate professor of human resource management at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said choosing a name and pronouns is a big step for transgender people, and when people around them don't use those names or pronouns, 'that causes a lot of damage for people.' She said not honoring a person's name or pronouns is one of the most common forms of transphobia, and transphobia can lead to anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide. However, 'when firms adopt policies that encourage all employees to bring their whole selves to the workplace, they tend to be more productive and may benefit by becoming an employer of choice,' a 2017 study published in the academic journal Human Resources Management found. Another NIH employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of losing her job, said the policy has confused colleagues who could not find her in the employee database, since she has always used her maiden name at work to maintain consistency in her scientific publications. Her legal name is her married name. USA TODAY requested a full copy of HHS policy on 'nicknames' that is referenced in the NIH and FDA memos, but the department did not provide it, instead pointing to a press release about what the administration calls 'gender ideology.' 'This administration is bringing back common sense and restoring biological truth to the federal government,' HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in the release. 'The prior administration's policy of trying to engineer gender ideology into every aspect of public life is over.' Trump's executive order required agencies to make sure identification documents such as passports and visas "accurately reflect" a person's sex. The order also questioned a 2020 Supreme Court case that made it illegal for employers to fire someone for being gay or transgender, and ordered the attorney general to "correct the misapplication" of the Supreme Court decision. The Office of Personnel Management ordered agencies to "disband or cancel" employee resource groups that "promote gender ideology," and make sure that bathrooms are "designated by biological sex and not gender identity," among other things. HHS news: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggests compensating families of some people with autism Websites for agencies within HHS now often show formal names for their leaders. The head of the FDA, who is often called Marty, is listed as Dr. Martin Makary on the official website. Kennedy's official bio lists him by his full name and briefly references him as 'Bobby Jr.' But Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, who went by 'Jay' in his previous academic position, is continuing to use his nickname in government. It appeared in the headline of an April 1 press release, his official biography, and multiple tweets published on official social media accounts. An essay published last week also used Bhattacharya's nickname in the signature. Dhanani criticized Bhattacharya's use of his nickname, and said it 'demonstrates that the rule isn't for everybody' and 'to me, it demonstrates the intention behind the policy.' 'If the rule isn't motivated by disallowing trans people to be themselves, then it has to apply to everybody, and if you're in a leadership position, the modeling of this applying to everybody starts with you,' she said. (This article has been updated to include additional information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Exclusive: FDA, NIH, CDC ban chosen names due to Trump gender order
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Trump administration banned chosen names at FDA, NIH under new gender policy
Employees of the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health are being told to use their legal names in official systems, a move the agencies say is in response to President Donald Trump's executive order that reversed protections for transgender people. The policies affect transgender employees who use a name that aligns with their gender identity rather than the sex they were assigned at birth. But the policies can also affect married women who choose to go by their maiden name at work, and people who go by middle names, initials, or shorten their first names, for example from James to Jim. The FDA and NIH policies go beyond a January directive from the Office of Personnel Management that ordered agencies to purge contracts and content related to gender identity and turn off features on email platforms 'that prompt users for their pronouns.' Both agencies are part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Media representatives for the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and NIH did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. The FDA website refers media inquiries to the Department of Health and Human Services. A March 14 memo to FDA employees obtained by USA TODAY said Department of Health and Human Services policy only allows employees to use 'full legal name' in their email signatures and cannot use pronouns or what the agency calls 'nicknames.' The memo said it was in response to President Donald Trump's Jan. 20 executive order called 'Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.' The order declared the government only recognized two sexes — male and female — that it says are determined at conception. The National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases told employees March 13 that employees had until the end of the day to remove pronouns and "nicknames" from email signatures, and that they could only use "full legal names." The memo cited guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services. The NIH sent a similar memo March 21 announcing that the agency was removing 'preferred name' information in an internal contact system in order to comply with Health and Human Services policy on 'nicknames' and the 'Defending Women' executive order. The email also warned employees against changing their legal names in the system: 'Please be aware that any change to your legal name in (the database) will trigger a new background check and a new HHS badge request.' HHS news: RFK Jr.: Chronic diseases need top billing, not infectious diseases like measles and COVID "It's showing how far they're willing to go for an anti-trans agenda," said Adrian Shanker, the former deputy assistant secretary for Health and Human Services under former President Joe Biden who led LGBT policymaking. A National Institute of Health employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation criticized the move as an attack on transgender employees that goes against the agency's tradition of trans inclusion. "They work with scientists and scientists tend to be people who understand the basics of the diversity of humans," Shanker said. He said that meant the agency historically "brought in a workforce that believe in being an inclusive work environment and I think that's one of the reasons it's so shocking." Lindsay Dhanani, an associate professor of human resource management at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said choosing a name and pronouns is a big step for transgender people, and when people around them don't use those names or pronouns, 'that causes a lot of damage for people.' She said not honoring a person's name or pronouns are some of the most common forms of transphobia, and transphobia can lead to anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide. However, 'when firms adopt policies that encourage all employees to bring their whole selves to the workplace, they tend to be more productive and may benefit by becoming an employer of choice,' a 2017 study published in the academic journal Human Resources Management found. Another NIH employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of losing her job, said the policy has confused colleagues who could not find her in the employee database, since she has always used her maiden name at work in order to maintain consistency in her scientific publications. Her legal name is her married name. USA TODAY requested a full copy of the Department of Health and Human Services policy on 'nicknames' that is referenced in the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration memos, but the department did not provide it, instead pointing to a press release about what the administration calls 'gender ideology.' 'This administration is bringing back common sense and restoring biological truth to the federal government,' Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in the release. 'The prior administration's policy of trying to engineer gender ideology into every aspect of public life is over.' Trump's executive order required agencies to make sure identification documents such as passports and visas "accurately reflect" a person's sex. The order also questioned a 2020 Supreme Court case that made it illegal for employers to fire someone for being gay or transgender, and ordered the attorney general to "correct the misapplication" of the Supreme Court decision. The Office of Personnel Management ordered agencies to "disband or cancel" employee resource groups that "promote gender ideology," and make sure that bathrooms are "designated by biological sex and not gender identity," among other things. HHS news: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggests compensating families of some people with autism Websites for agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services now often show formal names for its leaders. The head of the Food and Drug Administration, who is often called Marty, is listed as Dr. Martin Makary on the official website. Kennedy's official bio lists him by his full name and briefly references him as 'Bobby Jr.' But Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, who went by 'Jay' in his previous academic position, is continuing to use his nickname in government. It appeared in the headline of an April 1 press release, his official biography, and multiple tweets published on official social media accounts. An essay published last week also used Bhattacharya's nickname in the signature. Dhanani criticized Bhattacharya's use of his nickname, and said it 'demonstrates that the rule isn't for everybody' and 'to me it demonstrates the intention behind the policy.' 'If the rule isn't motivated by disallowing trans people to be themselves, then it has to apply to everybody, and if you're in a leadership position, the modeling of this applying to everybody starts with you,' she said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Exclusive: FDA, NIH ban chosen names in response to Trump gender order
Fox News
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump draws laughs when defining a 'woman' — until he touches on a serious issue
President Donald Trump drew laughs from the press when one reporter asked him to define what a woman is. Trump was speaking at a news conference after Alina Habba, a longtime member of his team, was sworn-in as the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. The reporter who asked the question first said that Trump had done "so much for women" before listing women who have powerful roles in the Trump administration, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Attorney General Pam Bondi. He then asked, "Since Democrats seemed to struggle answering this question, I want to ask you, what is a woman and why is it important that we understand the difference between men and women?" The room quickly erupted in laughter as Trump said that the question was "easy" to answer. "A woman is somebody, they can have a baby under certain circumstances. She has equality. A woman is a person who is much smarter than a man, I've always found. A woman is a person that doesn't give a man even a chance of success," Trump said. While the reporters in the room chuckled, Trump took the opportunity to take the question in a serious direction and addressed the issue of transgender athletes playing in women's sports. "And a woman is a person that in many cases has been treated very badly. Because I think that what happens with this crazy, this crazy issue of men being able to play in women's sports is just ridiculous and very unfair to women, and very demeaning to women," Trump said, shifting the tone of the news conference. Trump referenced a Democrat lawmaker, without naming who it was, fighting to keep transgender athletes in women's sports. The president joked that he hopes Democrats keep arguing for the inclusion of trans athletes in women's sports "because they'll never win another election." The Trump administration has taken swift action in combating gender ideology. Trump signed an order specifically addressing the issue of trans athletes in women's sports. The order, "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," prohibits educational institutions that receive federal funds from allowing trans athletes to compete against women. Additionally, Trump signed an executive order titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." This order made it official policy that the U.S. government only recognizes two genders: male and female. The U.S. Department of Education recently took action on this issue and launched an investigation of the California Department of Education over alleged violations of the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) after a new California law went into effect that bars schools from disclosing a child's "gender identity" to their parents. California Gov. Gavin Newsom spokesperson Elana Ross told Fox News Digital in a statement Thursday, "Parents continue to have full, guaranteed access to their student's education records, as required by federal law." As Trump concluded his answer to the question, he said, "Women are, basically, incredible people, do so much for our country. And we love our women and we're going to take care of our women." Fox News Digital's Jamie Joseph contributed to this article.
Associated Press
01-03-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Judge blocks Trump order threatening funding for institutions that offer care for transgender youth
SEATTLE (AP) — President Donald Trump's plan to pull federal funding from institutions that provide gender-affirming care for transgender youth will remain blocked on a long-term basis under a federal judge's ruling in Seattle late Friday. U.S. District Court Judge Lauren King previously granted a two-week restraining order after the Democratic attorneys general of Washington, Oregon and Minnesota sued the Trump administration — Colorado has since joined the case. King's temporary order expired Friday, and she held arguments that day before issuing a preliminary injunction blocking most of Trump's plan pending a final decision on the merits of the case. She rejected a portion of the states' challenge regarding the order's protections against female genital mutilation, on grounds that 'no credible threat of prosecution exists' in such cases. Two of Trump's executive orders are at issue in the case. One, 'Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism,' calls for stripping federal money from programs that 'promote gender ideology.' The other, 'Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,' calls for the federal government to cut off research and educational grants for institutions, including medical schools and hospitals, that provide gender-affirming care to people under age 19. Several hospitals around the country ceased providing care, including puberty blockers and hormone treatments, following the order. Medicaid programs in some states cover gender-affirming care, and Trump's 'Protecting Children' order suggests that practice could end. It also raises the prospect that medical professionals could be criminally charged for providing gender-affirming care under a law that bans medically unnecessary genital mutilation of underage females — a notion that the states suing Trump call repugnant and legally unsupportable. Young people who persistently identify as a gender that differs from their sex assigned at birth — a condition called gender dysphoria — are far more likely to suffer from severe depression and to kill themselves if they do not receive treatment, which can include evaluation by a team of medical professionals; a social transition, such as changing a hairstyle or pronouns; and eventually puberty blockers or hormones. Surgery is extremely rare for minors. In her ruling Friday, the judge said the order was not limited to children or to irreversible treatments and that it doesn't target medical interventions performed on cisgender children. 'In fact, its inadequate 'means-end fit' would prevent federally funded medical providers from providing necessary medical treatments to transgender youth that are completely unrelated to gender identity,' she wrote. 'For example, a cisgender teen could obtain puberty blockers from such a provider as a component of cancer treatment, but a transgender teen with the same cancer care plan could not.' In his arguments Friday, Washington Assistant Attorney General William McGinty stressed the urgency of the issue. 'There are going to be young people who are going to take their lives if they can no longer receive this care,' he said. The executive order uses derisive terminology — words such as 'maiming,' 'sterilizing' and 'mutilation' — that contradicts what is typical for gender-affirming care in the United States. Such care is widely endorsed by the medical community, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians. King, the judge in Seattle, grilled Justice Department attorney Vinita Andrapalliyal in court about the meaning and effect of Trump's executive orders. 'What is gender dysphoria?' she asked. 'Your honor, I am not a medical provider,' Andrapalliyal responded. 'It's a thing, correct?' King asked. 'It's a medically recognizable diagnosis?' 'I don't have an official position on that,' Andrapalliyal said. The judge continued to press, saying she was 'looking for a legitimate government interest' that would justify Trump's orders. The four Democratic attorneys general suing in Seattle argued that the orders violate equal rights protections, the separation of powers and the states' right to regulate issues not delegated to the federal government. The Trump administration disputed those claims in court filings. 'The President's authority to direct subordinate agencies to implement his agenda, subject to those agencies' own statutory authorities, is well established,' Justice Department attorneys wrote. In addition to the orders on health care access and defining the sexes as unchangeable, Trump has also signed orders that open the door to banning transgender people from military service; set up new rules about how schools can teach about gender; and would ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Riley Gaines featured in Trump HHS website that builds on 'two sexes' executive order
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released guidance Wednesday to implement sex-based definitions across the federal government and partners to expand President Donald Trump's executive order signed last month titled, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." HHS announced the department will also be working "to implement policies protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation," as well as developing a policy for women's sports. As such, HHS also launched a new web page for the Office of Women's Health featuring a video of former collegiate swimmer and activist Riley Gaines discussing keeping biological men out of women's sports. 4 Key Women's Health Issues That Have Been Neglected, Doctor Says "Thank you, President Trump and HHS for courageously defending truth, common sense and women," Gaines said in the video. "The executive order 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports' ensures the next generation of girls has a fair opportunity to compete with the safety, privacy and equal opportunity they're entitled to," Gaines said. "The clarity and decisiveness of the Trump administration sends a strong, clear message to women and girls across the country that we matter." Read On The Fox News App Other links on the new website include "Defending Women" and "Protecting Children." A screenshot taken by Fox News Digital shows the difference between the new HHS web page on Thursday versus February 2024, under the Biden administration, when a purple "Know Your Rights: Reproductive Health Care" ticker can be seen on the Office of Women's Health homepage. "This administration is bringing back common sense and restoring biological truth to the federal government," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. "The prior administration's policy of trying to engineer gender ideology into every aspect of public life is over." Trump Admin Administration Lays Out Who Exactly Was Cut At Hhs In Face Of 'Democrat Hysteria' According to the guidance, "Sex" refers to a person's immutable biological classification as either male or female. "Female" is defined as a person with a reproductive system designed to produce eggs, while "Male" refers to a person with a reproductive system designed to produce sperm. "Woman" and "Girl" represent adult and minor human females, respectively, while "Man" and "Boy" refer to adult and minor human males. The terms "Mother" and "Father" denote female and male parents, respectively. Wednesday's announcement comes as the Trump administration has been seeking to restore "biological truth" to the public sector. The topic of gender was not included in the HHS guidance. Maha Caucus Member Pledges Hearings Into 'Corruption' Of A Public Health Sector 'Captured By Big Pharma' Click To Get The Fox News App Trump's gender-related executive orders – which include banning biological men from women's sports and transgender people from the military – have sparked legal challenges, with several lawsuits filed by progressive and LGBT advocacy groups arguing that the orders violate civil rights protections for transgender article source: Riley Gaines featured in Trump HHS website that builds on 'two sexes' executive order
