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Trump says U.S. policy will only recognize two genders

President Trump speaks during inauguration ceremonies in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday.
Kevin Dietsch
/
Getty Images
President Trump speaks during inauguration ceremonies in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday.

Among the plans and priorities Trump announced in his inaugural address, he said "as of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female."

The Biden administration had recognized more than two genders in its policy actions.

The State Department, for example, updated passport applications to include an option for an "X" gender marker. In 2022, the administration allowed transgender and non-binary veterans to identify as such on their medical records.

According to a glossary of terms created by NPR with help from GLAAD:

Sex refers to a person's biological status and is typically assigned at birth, usually on the basis of external anatomy. Sex is typically categorized as male, female or intersex.

Gender is often defined as a social construct of norms, behaviors and roles that varies between societies and over time. Gender is often categorized as male, female or nonbinary.

While gender has traditionally been understood as either male or female, over time many people have come to recognize this as a binary. Many Americans identify as nonbinary, agender, gender-expansive or genderqueer.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Rachel Treisman (she/her) is a writer and editor for the Morning Edition live blog, which she helped launch in early 2021.