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Trump's anti-transgender order defines 'male' and 'female'

A transgender pride flag is waved during the People's March and rally to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 18.
Nathan Morris
/
NurPhoto via Getty Images
A transgender pride flag is waved during the People's March and rally to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 18.

One of the last executive actions President Trump signed in the Oval Office on Monday is titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government."

Among many other things, the extensive order defines "male" and "female" by the size of reproductive cells. From the text:

"Female" means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell.

"Male" means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell.

The order goes on to direct agencies throughout government to stop offering "gender identity" as a choice on government forms.

"Agencies shall take all necessary steps, as permitted by law, to end the Federal funding of gender ideology."

Copyright 2025 NPR

Diane Webber
Diane Webber is a supervising editor on NPR's Science Desk, specializing in health policy. She edits stories on reproductive health, mental health, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance and caregiving, among other topics.