Examination of EO: Gender- Biology... or Bullshit?
Part I of a detailed examination of "The Gender" Executive Order
*This is Part I of a three part series on this Executive Order. See my previous examination of another alarming Executive Order establishing an SS within the United States. For a limited time, grab a paid subscription to CounterStory Media for $2/mo. This offer expires Jan 31, 2025. Subscribe now to fund future coverage of President Trump’s Executive Orders as well as CounterStory Media’s ongoing mission of sharing stories that audit the narrative, spread truth, and share personal narratives that change not only hearts and minds but legislation, policy, and law.*
After four solid hours of wading through the verbiage of the Executive Order titled: “DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,“ and after taking an aspirin for the resulting headache, I realized there is so, so much more to this Executive Order than simply an assault on the transgender community.
This is an assault on common sense and simple biological truth.
This is an assault on women.
This is an assault on fundamental freedom of expression in a nation that purports to be the nation of “freedom” and “liberty".
Let’s get into it.
Because of the complex [read: bizarre] nature of the wording chosen, I realized that to truly examine this EO in one piece would result in a thesis-length document that would be too difficult to digest in one sitting. As a result, I’ve broken it down into three segments:
Part I) An examination of the peculiar biological terms used in this EO: Biology…or Bullshit?
Part II) An examination of the assault on women’s rights buried in this EO: Women’s Roles, and From Whom Do We Really Need Protecting?
Part III) The meat and potatoes: an examination of the assault on the trans community that is the blatant purpose of this EO: Propaganda vs. The Trans Community.
Let’s begin.
The EO opens with eerie, sensationalized claims that women are inherently in danger due to the mere presence of a gender ideology and transgender individuals. My initial reflections can be summed up as such:
1) I (as a cisgender, “biological” woman) don’t need your protecting. The last thing I need as a woman is “protection” by a bunch of rapists.
2) This is, obviously, on the face of it an all-out attack on transgender individuals; however, it’s also a thinly veiled assault on women.
3) With nary a mention of healthcare for minors or any other campaign-specific code words, the farce has been completely stripped away as we no longer even pretend that any anti-trans Executive Orders or legislation are intended to protect minors.
The curious terms used to describe biological reality within this EO are especially baffling. It’s abundantly clear that the authors haven’t the most basic grasp on biological reality, or that they simply want to confuse and gaslight the reader by replacing scientifically sound terminology with propagandistic rhetoric that many Americans are too undereducated to critically examine, much less doubt.
As an aside, the description of “an internal, fluid, and subjective sense of self” may in reality be a description of the healthiest, and most psychologically accurate, state of being, and yet it is presented here as wholly negative, furthering the controlling rhetoric of Christian Nationalism: that there is only one “correct” way of being that is acceptable to ‘The State’.
The biological definitions laid out in this document are as follows:
This lays out very elementary terms: women and girls, men and boys. Make note of this— it will be important later.
In contrast, here is an actual scientific description of human biology:
“Many of us learned in high school biology that sex chromosomes determine a baby’s sex, full stop: XX means it’s a girl; XY means it’s a boy. But on occasion, XX and XY don’t tell the whole story.
Today we know that the various elements of what we consider “male” and “female” don’t always line up neatly, with all the XXs—complete with ovaries, vagina, estrogen, female gender identity, and feminine behavior—on one side and all the XYs—testes, penis, testosterone, male gender identity, and masculine behavior—on the other. It’s possible to be XX and mostly male in terms of anatomy, physiology, and psychology, just as it’s possible to be XY and mostly female.
Each embryo starts out with a pair of primitive organs, the proto-gonads, that develop into male or female gonads at about six to eight weeks. Sex differentiation is usually set in motion by a gene on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene, that makes the proto-gonads turn into testes. The testes then secrete testosterone and other male hormones (collectively called androgens), and the fetus develops a prostate, scrotum, and penis. Without the SRY gene, the proto-gonads become ovaries that secrete estrogen, and the fetus develops female anatomy (uterus, vagina, and clitoris).
But the SRY gene’s function isn’t always straightforward. The gene might be missing or dysfunctional, leading to an XY embryo that fails to develop male anatomy and is identified at birth as a girl. Or it might show up on the X chromosome, leading to an XX embryo that does develop male anatomy and is identified at birth as a boy.
Genetic variations can occur that are unrelated to the SRY gene, such as complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), in which an XY embryo’s cells respond minimally, if at all, to the signals of male hormones. Even though the proto-gonads become testes and the fetus produces androgens, male genitals don’t develop. The baby looks female, with a clitoris and vagina, and in most cases will grow up feeling herself to be a girl.”1
As you can see, simple biology, the type taught at the high school level, can clearly refute the baseless and bizarre claims made in this EO as it applies to basic human biology.
According to this Executive Order, all humans are female.
For the first six to eight weeks of fetal development, the fetus is, according to this new United States government definition, female, and since they’ve decided to use this determination “from conception”, then yes, that would mean all of us are (again, according to their definition) female.
The Binary That Ignores The ‘Grey Area’ of Human Biology
This EO also entirely ignores the [very real] existence of intersex people. For those who are unfamiliar, here is a detailed definition of who is considered intersex:
“Intersex is an umbrella term for people whose reproductive organs, sexual anatomy or chromosome patterns differ from the biological definition of male or female. There are many ways someone can be intersex as it involves a spectrum of reproductive characteristics. Being intersex is a natural variation in humans, it does not mean there is something wrong.
Intersex traits can relate to:
Genitalia
Internal anatomy
Hormones
Chromosome combinations different to XY (male) and XX (female).Some intersex people have both ovarian and testicular tissue, while others have atypical female or male genitalia, or male/female genitalia with variations in their internal organs and/or hormones. Some intersex conditions may be related to underlying concerns that might require medical care, but people who are intersex are generally as healthy as those who are not.”2
According to a fundamental legalistic reading of Section 2 of this EO, would intersex individuals be recognized at all by the federal government?
So… would intersex people have to pay taxes?
Would they even be issued a Social Security number?
When the EO alleges that “sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality”, how will they define this “reality” if intersex people exist?
Additionally, as another aside, what are “sex-protective laws”? A cursory internet search yield no legal documentation explaining or defining this term; in fact, the only result from that search was this EO. This is imaginative language that holds no precedent in existing legal or legislative documentation, and without precedent, can be applied in whatever manner this administration finds apropos.
What This Propaganda Means
The re-defining of human biology sets into motion a campaign to divide our nation into two distinct and separate camps: boys and girls. Men and women. And for an administration who seeks, openly and proudly, to oppress women, these biological definitions give them a clear list of who exactly shall be oppressed.
If we don’t define precisely who the women are, how can we oppress them?
The targeting of the transgender community is but a Trojan horse for their true agenda: to identify, in federal databases, women.
This Executive Order clearly follows the agenda of Project 2025, which states:
“The next conservative President must make the institutions of American civil
society hard targets for woke culture warriors. This starts with deleting the terms
sexual orientation and gender identity (“SOGI”), diversity, equity, and inclusion
(“DEI”), gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender awareness, gender-sensitive, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights, and any other term used
to deprive Americans of their First Amendment rights out of every federal rule,
agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.”
And one needs to read no further than this line buried deep within Project 2025 to clearly see their plans for women: “Without women, there are no children, and society cannot continue.”3
Reducing women to brood mares, defined purely by their biological reproductive function, is the unabashed goal of a regime rabidly fixated on our declining birth rate.
Next up: we examine the very specific and targeted verbiage as it relates to women, as well as the imagined threats to women versus the very real threats we already face.
Stay tuned for Part II: Women’s Roles, and From Whom Do We Really Need Protecting? Make sure you’re subscribed to get this and further examinations of the Executive Orders of President Donald Trump. Subscribe now for a mere $2/mo to support this ongoing research and work.
CURRENT ACTION ITEMS: HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION NOW.
1) Copy this sample letter (copy and paste and customize with your information) regarding this Executive Order and send (mail or email) it to your state’s elected officials. Find your local elected officials here.
2) Google your city’s name + “mutual aid”. Find a way to get involved on the ground. Focus your immediate energy on organizations working with immigrant, migrant, and refugee communities.
3) Watch your digital footprint. Thoughtfully consider removing your presence on Meta platforms, and X, and examine where else your name and political speech are available online. Determine your personal level of comfort with your online presence, and delete as much as you feel necessary.
4) Donate to ACLU, GLAAD, and/or Lambda Legal. If you’re feeling extra spicy, make the donation in honor of the President and have the notice sent to the White House, or your local politician(s).
As we continue to dive into this necessary, in-depth examination of the flurry of Executive Orders coming out of this new administration, it’s imperative that you take time for self-care. Spend some time getting fresh air, go for a walk, or just unplug and enjoy some “analog” time. We have to be in this for the long haul, so throttle your energy and pace yourself. Although it may seem like a month, we’re still only in week one.
Drink your water and be well,
My name is Melissa Corrigan, and I’m a freelance writer/thought sharer/philosopher in coastal Virginia. I am a mom, a wife, a veteran, and so much more. I deeply enjoy sharing my thoughts and receiving feedback that sparks genuine, respectful conversation.
If you’d like to subscribe and you’re a veteran, click here for 50% off annual plans, forever.
If you are an adoptee, click here for 50% off annual plans, forever.
If you like my content, perhaps you’d like my podcast! Click here and follow along as I explore the themes of parenting, political ideologies, religious deconstruction, life as an adoptee, and LGBT allyship and family. Also, check out my Medium publications: adoptēre- to uplift the voices of adoptees, Served- to uplift the voices of veterans of the US military, Deconstructing Dogma- to explore the intersection of faith, religion, and spirituality, and The Light at the Other Side- stories of healing, redemption, and hope after trauma and darkness.
If you love my work, consider buying me a coffee? Or contribute directly to my Patreon to invest in the growth of CounterStory Media. I am forever grateful for every donation!
Johnson, L. (n.d.). How science is helping us understand gender. Education- National Geographic. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/how-science-is-helping-us-understand-gender/
Intersex conditions. Hudson Institute of Medical Research. (2024, October 16). https://www.hudson.org.au/disease/womens-newborn-health/intersex-conditions/#:~:text=Intersex%20is%20an%20umbrella%20term,a%20spectrum%20of%20reproductive%20characteristics.
Mandate for leadership: The conservative promise. Project 2025. (n.d.-a). https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
I believe I restacked this, but thank you for diving in so deeply t o this. WOW, unbelievable!
I think it’s also worth focusing on the not-so-subtle reinforcement of fetal “personhood” contained in the repeated phrase “a person belonging, at conception.” I can’t remember who first alerted me to that, but now I can’t unsee it.