US State Department Orders Removal of Gender Pronouns from Email Signatures

An internal communication from the US State Department has instructed employees to eliminate gender pronouns from their email signatures by the end of the day on Friday. This directive was issued by Tibor P Nagy, the acting under-secretary for management and former ambassador, and is part of a wider review aimed at removing elements considered to promote "gender ideology" from government activities.

In addition to revising email signatures, Nagy emphasized the need to assess various agency programs, contracts, and grants that may support gender ideology. He stated that all State Department offices should also reevaluate their training materials, forms, and planning documents.

The order signifies a larger trend, as similar mandates have reportedly been sent to other federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Energy. These actions are being linked to two executive orders signed by former President Donald Trump on his first day back in office, which target specific language within federal communications.

Further highlighting this initiative, the Department of Energy connected their memo to Trump’s orders, aiming to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language. Just a week prior, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also issued instructions to stop applications for the use of the gender identity marker "X" on passports and official documents, echoing the same executive orders that underpin these recent changes.