Trump: US will recognise only two genders

In his inaugural speech on January 20, US President Donald Trump said the US government would only recognise two genders going forward.

Speaking after his swearing-in at the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington DC on Monday, Trump said, “This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. We will forge a society that is colour-blind and merit-based.

"As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”

Immediate reactions on social media were that the announcement would negatively affect the lives of people of trans experience, those who identify as non-binary and were born intersex, have genetic conditions or generally do not fit into what society sees as normal.

Local organisations representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+) and other marginalised communities were also upset by the announcement.

Pride TT co-founder Kennedy Maraj said the statement was deeply troubling and harmful, especially in an era where LGBTQIA+ individuals around the world faced increasing discrimination.

“This declaration undermines the significant strides we have made toward inclusivity and equality, dismissing the lived realities of people who do not fit into the traditional gender binary.

“Furthermore, such a statement ignores the decades of hard work by gender advocates, researchers, and activists, whose credible contributions have shown that gender is a social construct that exists on a spectrum. It's important that we must reiterate that people can identify as male, female, or non-binary, and all these identities are valid and deserving of recognition.”

Maraj said world leaders making statements like these enforced harmful stereotypes.

“It emboldens the prejudice, violence, and discrimination that transgender and non-binary communities often face. It is a disheartening reminder of the ongoing struggles marginalised communities endure, but it also serves as a call to action.”

He extended words of encouragement to transgender and non-binary individuals who might feel disheartened by this message.

“Please know that we stand with you. You have the right to exist, self-identify, and be treated with the respect and dignity every human being deserves.

“Pride TT remains committed to advocating for your rights with our leaders in TT, pushing for better education, legal recognition, health care, and employment opportunities, while working towards a society where everyone is treated equally and with respect.”

Members of the organisation Transform TT said the announcement was denying people their humanity.

Transgender woman Claire said the announcement was an atrocious attempt to invalidate thousands of people's identities.

Non-binary student Ajay, 18, said this was a form of oppression comparable to slavery.

“This honestly makes no sense. There isn't only one gender and not acknowledging that is like turning a blind eye. It excludes a lot of people that are already forced to deal with discrimination and hate.”

Joy, 24, who identifies as gender non-conforming, said she thought the statement was “the ravings of a person and a wider group of people who wish for a world where everyone is the same, where people look and think just like him and his followers.

“It’s really just a front. To destroy some 'agenda' that doesn’t exist so that he can feel more valid in his ignorance. It makes no sense. How can you say that something doesn’t exist when millions of people have the same experience every day?”

Muriel, 21, said a strict male/female binary doesn't encompass the full spectrum of the human experience.

“Even if one decides to take gender out of the equation, we have to acknowledge that even in sexes there are variations. Intersex people, who are born with biological characteristics that don't fit typical male or female categories, challenge the notion of a strict binary. Is he going to reject the existence of individuals who fall into this category?

“Many cultures throughout history acknowledge the existence of more than two genders, for example, Native American ‘two spirit’ identities and South Asian hijras, who have been part of their societies for centuries. He's showing his lack of knowledge/awareness of global cultural diversities.

Muriel asked if Trump was truly willing to risk the rise in mental health issues, discrimination and even suicide for the sake of his own personal views. They said such a decision would even have a detrimental impact on the economy.

Trans man Ashura, 24, said only acknowledging two genders would lead to exclusion of trans, intersex and non-binary people and trying to box people into one category or another.

UWI St Augustine Institute of Gender and Development Studies head Dr Sue Ann Barratt said the institute was grounded in developing reliable, grounded knowledge of what existed in the real world.

She said there was a difference between sex and gender, which are normally used interchangeably, and both existed on a spectrum.

Barrat said sex was rooted in an individual’s physical and physiological characteristics, while gender described how people dressed and presented themselves to the world from the moment they were born. She said gender was interpreted within a culture as reliably existing around a continuum from masculine to feminine.