U.S. Government Websites Go Dark Amid Trump’s Order

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U.S. Government Websites Go Dark Amid Trump’s Order \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Following President Donald Trump’s executive orders to recognize only two genders and eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, multiple U.S. government websites were taken down or altered. Agencies were ordered to comply by Friday, leading to the removal of gender identity terms, DEI resources, and reports from various federal sites. The National Park Service, State Department, Census Bureau, CDC, and Bureau of Prisons all saw significant content changes.

Quick Look

Federal Websites Taken Down or Altered: Agencies removed pages and reports related to gender identity and diversity programs following Trump’s executive orders.
National Park Service Pages Went Dark: Websites on Japanese internment, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the Stonewall Uprising became inaccessible, with only one restored.
State Department Revised LGBTQ+ Travel Page: “LGBTQIA+ Travelers” was renamed “LGBTravelers”, and X gender markers were removed from consular forms.
Census Bureau Scrubbed Gender and LGBTQ+ Data: Reports on sexual orientation, gender identity, and mental health disparities were removed or returned errors.
Bureau of Prisons Eliminated Transgender Inmate Data: The “Inmate Gender” page was renamed “Inmate Sex”, and transgender inmate statistics were deleted.
CDC Removed Public Health Data: The agency took down resources on HIV and transgender people, school inclusion guides, and National Transgender HIV Testing Day.
Military Ends Heritage and Awareness Months: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered an end to identity-based observances, including Black History Month and Women’s History Month.
More Changes Expected: Some altered pages have been reinstated, but civil rights groups warn of further rollbacks and possible legal challenges.

Deep Look

Federal Agencies Scramble to Comply with New Executive Orders

On Friday, numerous U.S. government websites went dark or were altered after agencies rushed to implement President Donald Trump’s executive orders restricting the recognition of gender identity beyond male and female and eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

A directive from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent to agency heads on Wednesday ordered the removal of gender-inclusive language, DEI programs, and related resources from federal platforms. Agencies were required to:

Remove references to “gender” from government forms, replacing them with “sex”.
Terminate grants and contracts related to gender ideology.
Disband workplace resource groups focused on gender identity or DEI.
Instruct employees to remove pronouns from government email signatures.

By the 5 p.m. Friday deadline, several government websites had been significantly changed or taken offline. Some pages were temporarily removed and later reinstated with altered content, while others remained inaccessible into the evening.

Major Changes and Missing Web Pages Across Agencies

1. National Park Service Pages on Historical Minority Events Inaccessible

Web pages dedicated to historical civil rights events were among the first to go offline, including:

The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
The Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
The Stonewall Uprising, a key moment in LGBTQ+ history.

The Tuskegee Airmen page was restored, but the others remained inaccessible Friday evening.

2. State Department Alters Gender Policies, LGBTQ+ Resources

The State Department made several changes to its online services, including:

Replacing “gender” with “sex” on consular forms.
Removing the X gender marker from travel documents.
Renaming the “LGBTQIA+ Travelers” page to “LGBTravelers”.

3. U.S. Census Bureau Takes Down Pages on Gender and Sexual Orientation

The U.S. Census Bureau homepage was briefly down, and multiple topic pages related to gender identity, sexual orientation, and mental health were removed or returned error messages.

For example, a page titled “Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity” displayed a maintenance message, while another titled “Mental Health Struggles Higher Among LGBT Adults” became unavailable. Archived versions show these pages were accessible as recently as last week.

4. Intelligence Community Scrubs Inspector General Reports

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) removed multiple reports from the Intelligence Community Inspector General’s website.

This follows Trump’s previous history of dismissing inspectors general—independent watchdogs who oversee government agencies.

5. Bureau of Prisons Removes Transgender Inmate Data

The Bureau of Prisons altered a web page originally titled “Inmate Gender”, renaming it “Inmate Sex”. Additionally, a section that previously provided a breakdown of transgender inmates in federal prisons was removed.

6. CDC Scrubs Public Health Data on LGBTQ+ and Reproductive Health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed multiple resources related to public health issues affecting transgender individuals, including:

Guidance on contraception and reproductive health.
HIV-related resources for transgender people.
A fact sheet on National Transgender HIV Testing Day.
Lessons on building inclusive school environments for transgender students.
Government surveys documenting higher rates of depression, drug use, and bullying among transgender youth.

The CDC’s data repository, data.cdc.gov, was also taken offline, with a message stating that operations would resume once in compliance with the executive order.

7. Defense Department Ends Recognition of Heritage and Awareness Months

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the military to stop recognizing identity-based observances, including:

Black History Month
Women’s History Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National American Indian Heritage Month

Backlash and Concerns Over Government Transparency

The sweeping changes sparked concern from civil rights groups, historians, and LGBTQ+ advocates, who argue that the removal of these resources represents an erosion of government transparency and inclusivity.

Critics also noted that the sudden disappearance of key reports and data raises questions about how agencies will handle diversity-related policies going forward.

“This is an unprecedented rollback of civil rights resources and data collection,” said one advocacy leader. “The removal of information related to marginalized communities signals a shift in government priorities that should concern all Americans.”

What Happens Next?

With some pages reinstated with revisions and others still missing, it remains unclear how far these changes will go. The OPM directive did not specify how agencies should handle historical records, leaving uncertainty about whether removed content will return in altered forms.

Meanwhile, legal experts suggest that some of these actions may be challenged in court, particularly if they are found to violate existing civil rights protections.

Conclusion: A Widespread Overhaul of Federal Websites and Policies

The removal and alteration of government web pages in response to Trump’s gender and DEI executive orders marks a significant shift in federal policies. While some pages have been restored with changes, others remain offline, raising concerns about transparency, historical erasure, and access to public resources.

With civil rights groups monitoring the situation, and potential legal battles looming, the long-term impact of these policy reversals remains to be seen.