Federal employees across various departments were instructed on Friday to remove personal pronouns from their email signatures by 5 p.m. as part of efforts to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibiting the promotion of gender ideology.
A memo sent to staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, reviewed by USA TODAY, requested employees to “recreate their signatures” in line with Trump’s directive and an updated style guide that excludes pronouns.
Reports from ABC News also indicated that employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Transportation Department received similar orders.
The New York Times reported that employees at the State Department, Labor Department, and Department of Veterans Affairs were also told to remove their pronouns.
In addition, a memo from the Office of Personnel Management issued earlier in the week instructed federal agencies to eliminate all regulations, forms, communications, and webpages that “inculcate or promote gender ideology” by Friday evening.
The memo also called for departments to place employees involved in “promoting gender ideology” on paid leave and to ensure that all policies and documents use the term “sex” rather than “gender.”
The CDC has already started revising its website by removing content related to health disparities in LGBTQ youth and support for LGBTQ+ youth.
The State Department also made changes to its travel advisory page, replacing “LGBTQ” with “LGB,” referring to lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.
Additionally, Trump has signed executive orders prohibiting the federal government from assisting with gender transitions for individuals under 19 and banning transgender service members from the military.
