US federal employees working in diversity offices must be put on paid leave by Wednesday evening as the new administration of Donald Trump has ordered the programmes to close, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has confirmed.
“Send a notification to all employees of DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility) offices that they are being placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately as the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices and programs,” said a US office of personnel management memo posted on X.
The memo, confirmed by Leavitt, directed all department and agency heads to send workers notice by 5pm on Wednesday.
On Monday, the first day of his second term as president, Trump repealed numerous executive orders promoting LGBTQ+ equality, and issued new ones decreeing only two genders and ending government diversity programmes.
During the presidential campaign, he vilified diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in the federal government and corporate world, saying they discriminated against white people – men in particular.
“The Biden administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the federal government, in areas ranging from airline safety to the military,” said one executive order ending such initiatives.
While campaigning, Trump also demonised any recognition of gender diversity, criticising transgender people – notably transgender women in sports – and gender-affirming care for children.
In front of a crowd of supporters in Washington on Monday, Trump rescinded 78 executive orders, actions and presidential memorandums issued by his predecessor Joe Biden.
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Several of the overturned decrees promoted diversity and equality in the government, workplaces and healthcare, as well as the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans.
