Employees across multiple federal agencies were directed to remove pronouns from their email signatures by Friday afternoon, according to internal memos obtained by ABC News. The move follows executive orders signed by former President Donald Trump on his first day in office, aiming to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal government.
Federal agencies instruct employees to drop pronouns
The orders stem from two executive actions Trump signed upon returning to office, which called for an end to what his administration described as "radical and wasteful DEI programs." One such directive, sent to staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), explicitly stated that “pronouns and any other information not permitted in the policy must be removed from employee signatures by 5 p.m. ET on Friday,” according to ABC news.
Similar memos were issued to employees at the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Energy (DOE).
{{/usCountry}}Similar memos were issued to employees at the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Energy (DOE).
{{/usCountry}}As part of implementing these policies, federal agencies were instructed to strip any references to gender identity from official materials, including grant applications, public documents, and email communications.
Departments begin compliance amid backlash
The Department of Energy’s memo cited compliance with Trump’s executive order as the reason behind the removal of pronouns. At the Department of Transportation, the directive was issued on the same day the agency was handling the response to a plane crash near Washington, D.C.
At the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sources revealed that all-gender bathrooms had also been closed in line with the new policy. Additionally, medical staff at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities were told that gender should no longer appear on forms—only “sex” with “male” and “female” as the two available options, according to NY Times.
Federal websites and resources go offline
By Friday afternoon, several federal websites that contained DEI-related content appeared to have been taken down. Notably, the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System and the Social Vulnerability Index pages were unavailable.
The swift implementation of these policies marks one of the most aggressive moves yet in Trump’s ongoing efforts to reshape federal government practices, particularly regarding diversity, inclusion, and gender identity.