Donald Trump’s reelection capitalized on the anti–gender ideology backlash. His campaign’s most famous ad said that Kamala Harris was for “they/them” and Donald Trump is for you. In his first weeks, he issued an executive order directing federal departments to recognize only two sexes and defined them as an immutable biological binary. He followed up with threats to cut funding to schools that promote gender ideology. In April, the administration demanded that states receiving Personal Responsibility Education Program (sex-ed) funds remove all references to gender ideology. Another executive order forbids the federal government from funding any kind of sex-change or “conformation” surgery or chemical treatment for minors. Significantly, the administration banned many forms of DEI education across the federal government. This was a powerful move precisely because, without federal contracts, these professional ideological reeducators may end up seeking other professions.
Beyond that, the cultural temperature on this issue has changed entirely. We’re a long way from major sports leagues’ canceling events when states take even the slightest action to contain gender ideology. Instead of people feeling bullied into silence, as they did a decade ago, now people openly express what only J. K. Rowling and already self-canceled people said years ago. Professional comedy has taken a big anti-PC turn and has mocked transgenderism and its zealots.
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