The White House has reiterated the United States government’s position that it officially recognises only two sexes, male and female, under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The White House restated the position in a post published on its official X account on Saturday, November 7, 2026, declaring that the US government recognises only male and female sexes.
The statement reinforces Trump’s administration’s policy of recognising biological sex as either male or female in federal government operations.
Trump formalised the position on January 20, 2025, through an executive order titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.
Under Section Two of the order, the President declared that it was the policy of the United States to recognise two sexes, male and female.
The executive order defined sex as an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female, distinguishing it from gender identity.
It also directed federal agencies to adopt the definitions when interpreting and implementing federal laws and government policies.
As part of the directive, government agencies were instructed to remove official statements, policies, regulations and communications considered inconsistent with the administration’s position.
The order further required federal agencies to ensure that official government forms requesting an individual’s sex provide only male and female options.
The policy represents a reversal of several measures introduced under former President Joe Biden’s administration, which recognised gender identity in different areas of federal government operations.
The White House’s latest statement reinforces Trump’s position on an issue that continues to generate political, legal and social debate in the United States.
Trump had reiterated the position during his inauguration as the 47th President of the United States in January 2025, when he outlined his administration’s priorities on gender, race, immigration, economic reforms and energy policies.
His administration’s policy rejects the official recognition of gender identities such as transgender, non-binary and genderqueer in federal government classifications.
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