Equality Caucus Slams Trump's Day-One Anti-Equality Attacks

January 20, 2025
Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Rep. Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after President Trump issued several anti-LGBTQI+ Executive Orders on his first day back in office:

“After being sworn in as President, Donald Trump got right to attacking the LGBTQI+ community, and particularly the transgender community,” said Rep. Mark Takano, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “Donald Trump spent his first day back in the Oval Office seeking to both erase the existence of transgender people and curb government efforts to protect and support transgender people, as well as the wider LGBTQI+ community. The President and the federal government should be working to support all Americans—not singling out transgender and LGBTQI+ people for exclusion. Make no mistake: these attacks on our community are part of a larger strategy by Republicans to use anti-LGBTQI+ attacks to distract Americans from the massive tax cuts they want to give to their billionaire buddies—cuts they are going to pay for by cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.”


BACKGROUND
President Trump issued several anti-LGBTQI+ Executive Orders on the first day of his second term, including:

  • “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which, instructs agencies to take a variety of anti-transgender actions. 

  • “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” which revokes several LGBTQI-inclusive Executive Orders issued by President Biden, including Executive Orders:

    • 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government;

    • 13988, Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation;

    • 14004, Enabling All Qualified Americans To Serve Their Country in Uniform;

    • 14020, Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council;

    • 14035, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce; 

    • 14075, Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals; and,

    • 14091, Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.