OPM directive: take down all web content that "promotes gender ideology" by January 31

Guidance/memoOPM

Date
Actor
Office of Personnel Management (Acting Director Charles Ezell)
Agency
Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Type
Guidance/memo
Section
DATA ERASURE, TERMINOLOGY MANDATES, AND STATISTICS

Summary

OPM's "Initial Guidance Regarding President Trump's Executive Order Defending Women" ordered agency heads to (1) "[t]ake down all outward facing media (websites, social media accounts, etc.) that inculcate or promote gender ideology" by 5:00 p.m. ET Friday, January 31, 2025; (2) withdraw all final or pending documents, directives, regulations, forms, communications, and plans that "promote gender ideology"; (3) remove pronouns from federal employee email signatures and disable pronoun prompts in agency systems; and (4) terminate related programs. This single memo is the proximate cause of the government-wide takedown wave of January 31.

Status

Vacated. The D.D.C. held the memo unlawful and vacated it at summary judgment in Doctors for America v. OPM (July 3, 2025); no appeal was filed.

As recorded in the data of . Check the sources for anything newer.

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Documents

Sources

Cite this action

Memorandum from Charles Ezell, Acting Dir., Off. of Pers. Mgmt., to Heads & Acting Heads of Departments & Agencies, Initial Guidance Regarding President Trump's Executive Order Defending Women (Jan. 29, 2025), https://www.opm.gov/media/yvlh1r3i/opm-memo-initial-guidance-regarding-trump-executive-order-defending-women-1-29-2025-final.pdf.

Short form: Memorandum from Charles Ezell, Acting Dir., Off. of Pers. Mgmt., to Heads & Acting Heads of Departments & Agencies, Initial Guidance Regarding President Trump's Executive Order Defending Women (Jan. 29, 2025), https://www.opm.gov/media/yvlh1r3i/opm-memo-initial-guidance-regarding-trump-executive-order-defending-women-1-29-2025-final.pdf.