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President Trump signed an executive order this week that seeks to ban transgender women from playing women's sports in schools that receive federal funding. It's just one of multiple actions aimed at ending what the administration calls gender ideology. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports.
DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN, BYLINE: Gender ideology became one of Trump's favorite slogans on the campaign trail.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I will take historic action to defeat the toxic poison of gender ideology and reaffirm that God created two genders - male and female.
KURTZLEBEN: Now, the administration is trying to put a political phrase into practice. On Day 1, Donald Trump signed an order that, among other things, calls to end funding for, quote, "gender ideology." Harper Seldin, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, says the phrase is harmful, implying a belief system rather than an identity.
HARPER SHELDIN: If we had an executive order that said the left-handed ideology, people would understand immediately that that was not quite right. Being left-handed is just a natural variation, and same with being transgender.
KURTZLEBEN: The Trump administration's definition of gender ideology negates the idea that gender identity is separable from sex as they define it. Sheldin sees the definition as intentionally loose, allowing the government to discriminate. Jay Richards, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, says the focus on gender ideology is about keeping women and girls safe.
JAY RICHARDS: The concern is, especially with children and especially in private women's spaces - and in particular, I think, women's prisons - the categories of gender ideology have started to dissolve the clear distinction between the biological sexes.
KURTZLEBEN: He points to instances where women in prison have accused transgender women inmates of abuse. However, studies have also shown transgender inmates are at a higher risk of violence. Already, the executive order is sparking confusion.
A mental health provider with the VA spoke to NPR anonymously, for fear of retaliation. They pointed to a memo saying employees whose jobs include, quote, "promoting gender ideology" should be put on paid leave. The provider said, when we read that, we were like, what does that mean? Is that any of us or, because of the way our profession looks at gender, is that all of us? They also fear that if policy inhibits mental health care, suicide rates among transgender patients could rise. A White House spokesperson told NPR that they stand by their definition.
Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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