President Donald Trump has revoked a cornerstone of civil rights policy that has shaped federal hiring and contracting for nearly six decades, marking yet another blow to equity and inclusion under his administration. With the stroke of a pen on Wednesday, Trump dismantled Executive Order 11246, a directive first issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 to combat workplace discrimination and advance affirmative action.
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The new order eliminates requirements for federal contractors to implement affirmative action policies or to ensure that their workforces reflect the diversity of the nation. It also prohibits federal hiring practices from considering diversity, equity, and inclusion factors, focusing instead on what the administrationcalls “merit-based” systems. The White House touted the move as a victory for civil rights, claiming it restores “colorblind equality,” but for advocates of diversity, this marks a devastating retreat from decades of progress.
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Johnson’s 1965 order was a response to systemic discrimination, requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to actively prevent workplace bias.
The original language of Executive Order 11246 was clear in its purpose:
“The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin,” the order said. Contractors were also required to “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment” without bias. Employers needed to post notices in visible areas to inform workers of their rights and compliance obligations under the order.
This language mandated nondiscrimination and required proactive measures to address systemic inequities. Employers were held accountable through compliance reports and could face severe consequences, including contract termination, for failing to adhere to these standards.
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Over time, it expanded to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, cementing its role as a pillar of workplace equity. Despite Trump’s order, one critical protection remains intact: the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County. In that landmark case, the Court ruled that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is a form of sex discrimination prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This means that, regardless of the changes to Executive Order 11246, it is still illegal under federal law for employers to fire, refuse to hire, or otherwise discriminate against someone because they are LGBTQ+.
Trump also directed federal agencies to terminate DEI-related positions and eliminate programs designed to address inequities. DEI staff have been placed on administrative leave, with layoffs set to follow by the end of the month. He imposed a hiring freeze across most federal agencies, retracted pending job offers, and directed agencies to remove job postings with DEI-related language. Exceptions have been made for positions in national security, public safety, and immigration enforcement. Acting Office of Personnel Management Director Charles Ezell has instructed agencies to finalize plans for reductions in force targeting DEI employees by the end of the month.
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The changes don’t stop with hiring practices. Within hours of being sworn in, Trump issued an executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which eliminates federal recognition oftransgender andnonbinary identities. Under the order, government-issued documents, including passports and Social Security records, must reflect sex assigned at birth. Schools, shelters, and other federally funded institutions are no longer required to accommodate transgender people. Prisons are now directed to house transgender inmates based on their sex assigned at birth, regardless of safety concerns.
Federal websites, including WhiteHouse.gov and those of the Department of Labor and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have also purged references to LGBTQ+ identities and HIV-related resources. Pages promoting workers’ rights protections for LGBTQ+ employees, Pride Month acknowledgments, and HIV prevention initiatives have been removed entirely. The administration has defended these actions as part of a broader effort to remove what it calls “radical ideology” from federal policy.