The new guidance unveiled by the Health Department is part of President Donald Trump’s “only two sexes” policy
© Getty Images / Jacob Wackerhausen US Health Secretary RFK Jr. has announced new guidance defining ‘mother’ as a female parent and ‘father’ as a male parent. The announcement comes as part of President Donald Trump’s “only two sexes” federal policy. Since taking office, Trump has issued multiple gender-related orders affirming that US government policy recognizes only two sexes – male and female. He has instructed the health department (HHS) to provide “clear guidance” within 30 days on how to interpret sex-based definitions. The guidance issued by the HHS on Wednesday defines ‘sex’ as an immutable biological classification, designating individuals strictly as male or female. A ‘female’ is described as “a person of the sex characterized by a reproductive system with the biological function of producing eggs”. A ‘male’ has a reproductive system “with the biological function of producing sperm”. Consequently, a ‘mother’ is defined as a female parent, and a ‘father’ as a male parent. “This administration is bringing back common sense and restoring biological truth to the federal government,” RFK Jr. was quoted as saying in the HHS statement. “The prior administration’s policy of trying to engineer gender ideology into every aspect of public life is over,” he argued. For years, the US has moved away from traditional parental titles, replacing ‘mother’ and ‘father’ with ‘parent one’ and ‘parent two’. In 2011, the State Department justified the change, arguing that gender-specific parental terms were outdated. Furthermore, in August of last year, the Vermont Department of Health recommended using gender-neutral terms such as ‘child’ or ‘kid’ instead of ‘son’ or ‘daughter’ to promote inclusive language.
“It took many years of effort, but we are finally back to science and common sense,” Roger Severino, who served as director of HHS’ Office for Civil Rights during the first Trump administration, posted on X on Thursday, praising the announcement. Trump has swiftly rolled back protections for transgender rights, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, which the federal government had established during former President Joe Biden’s administration. Trump ended federal support for medical procedures related to sex change procedures for minors, to protect them from “chemical and surgical mutilations.” Last month, he signed an order barring “radical gender ideology” in the military, stating service should be limited to those mentally and physically fit. Another executive order banned trans women from female sports, with plans to block transgender athletes from competing in US-hosted events, including the 2028 Olympics and World Cup. Several of Trump’s policies face legal challenges, with federal judges blocking some directives. His administration’s approach has drawn criticism from civil rights groups and LGBT advocates.
