**Another Blow to LGBTQ Protections as Important Government Pages Are Taken Down**
Keen observers have uncovered yet another blow to LGBTQ protections under the current U.S. presidential administration.
Journalist Ari Drennen from Media Matters for America was the first to report that the official Social Security Administration (SSA) webpage outlining the procedure for changing gender designation on government documents has been removed from the internet. The page now shows an “Access Denied” message stating, “You are not authorized to access this page.” This removal has raised alarms among LGBTQ advocates regarding the administration’s commitment to inclusivity.
### Related:
**[Resources for those worried about anti-LGBTQ executive orders](https://mashable.com/article/trump-transgender-executive-order-resources)**
Additional investigations have verified that the page is off-limits to all users, even those logged into their personal Social Security accounts. Furthermore, the SSA’s page regarding Gender Identity now results in a 404 error, signifying its complete removal. Nevertheless, some related FAQs concerning the process of altering gender identification — including options for binary and nonbinary (“X”) markers — are still publicly viewable. The SSA’s broader resources for LGBTQI communities continue to be accessible at the time of this report.
This turn of events follows a major policy revision under the Biden administration in 2022, which permitted U.S. citizens to modify their gender identification on official documents without requiring medical or legal substantiation. This policy was hailed as a significant triumph for LGBTQ rights. However, advocates had cautioned that the incoming administration might swiftly reverse such measures, urging individuals to amend their documents before the leadership transition.
### A Pattern of Rollbacks
The deletion of these pages is indicative of a larger trend of actions taken by the new administration. Within a day of President Trump’s inauguration, all LGBTQ-related pages were stripped from the White House website, encompassing resources and information released during the Biden administration. Searches for terms like “sexual identification” and “gender” on the White House website now yield only links to recent executive orders, one of which is titled “[Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/).”
This executive order, enacted by President Trump, asserts that the federal government will solely acknowledge two biological genders, defined as “gender at time of conception.” Critics have highlighted that this definition is both scientifically and legally vague. The order effectively rescinds recognition for trans and gender-nonconforming individuals who had legally altered their gender on official documents. It also neglects to consider intersex individuals or other biologically nonbinary identities, which impact millions of Americans, according to [InterACT Advocates for Intersex Youth](https://interactadvocates.org/faq/#howcommon).
### A Concerning Trend
The withdrawal of these resources and policies signifies a concerning trend for LGBTQ rights in the United States. While some information persists, the elimination of critical pages and the administration’s emphasis on limiting gender recognition have provoked significant worry among advocates. These actions highlight the difficulties faced by LGBTQ communities as they navigate a progressively hostile political environment.