Words matter. They shape our policies, inform our laws, and define the way our government serves its people. Yet, the Trump administration is reportedly attempting to strip a vast array of words from federal documents, QSOs, and other official records. This sweeping attempt to erase terms like "equity," "disabilities," "diversity," and "gender identity" is more than just bureaucratic meddling—it’s a calculated attack on the very values that underpin a just and democratic society.
By restricting language, the administration is trying to erase the people and issues these words represent. Removing terms such as "racial justice," "health equity," "LGBTQ," and "disabilities" from federal records does not make inequality or discrimination disappear—it merely silences discussions about them. This is not just censorship; it is a deliberate effort to roll back progress and obscure systemic problems that affect millions of Americans.
Perhaps most disturbingly, the administration appears to endorse one acceptable phrase: "a white male." If true, this move is not just exclusionary but explicitly signals who is valued and who is not in this administration’s America. It sends a chilling message that those outside this narrowly defined identity are unworthy of recognition, rights, and protections.
The Real-World Consequences of Erasing Words
The erasure of words like "advocacy," "barriers," and "disability" from federal policy language has dire implications. Consider the impact on long-term care facilities, where residents with disabilities and elders rely on legal protections and advocacy to ensure their rights are upheld. If these terms disappear from official documentation, so too does the accountability that ensures equal access to care and resources.
Similarly, by removing terms like "climate science" and "environmental quality," the administration is not just silencing a conversation but actively undermining urgent efforts to address the climate crisis. Ignoring reality does not change it; it only makes it harder for policymakers, scientists, and communities to tackle critical issues.
A Dystopian Rewrite of American Policy
Government documents serve as a historical and legal record of how we define and address social issues. Scrubbing these words is a manipulative attempt to rewrite history, making it easier to justify discrimination, environmental destruction, and inequality by pretending they don’t exist.
The fact that words like "inclusivity," "DEI," and "person-centered care" are deemed unacceptable makes clear the administration’s priorities: erasing the progress made in civil rights, disability rights, gender equity, and social justice. These words are not controversial; they are the foundation of fairness and democracy. Removing them is an unmistakable signal that the administration wants to reverse hard-won gains for marginalized communities.
We Must Speak Louder
Silencing words does not silence people. The American public—advocates, policymakers, communities, and everyday citizens—must push back against this authoritarian maneuver. We must demand transparency, call out this manipulation, and ensure that federal agencies remain accountable to all people, not just a select few.
History has shown that attempts to erase identities, struggles, and movements from public discourse never succeed. Those who benefit from inclusivity, equity, and justice are too many, too strong, and too determined to be erased. Our language is a tool of resistance, and we will not be silenced.
The Trump administration may try to delete words, but as the late Maggie Kuhn said, "Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind—even if your voice shakes."
activism | diverse | oppression |
activists | diverse backgrounds | oppressive |
advocacy | diverse communities | orientation |
advocate | diverse community | people + uterus |
advocates | diverse group | people-centered care |
affirming care | diverse groups | person-centered |
all-inclusive | diversified | person-centered care |
allyship | diversify | polarization |
anti-racism | diversifying | political |
antiracist | diversity | pollution |
assigned at birth | enhance the diversity | pregnant people |
assigned female at birth | enhancing diversity | pregnant person |
assigned male at birth | environmental quality | pregnant persons |
at risk | equal opportunity | prejudice |
barrier | equality | privilege |
barriers | equitable | privileges |
belong | equitableness | promote diversity |
bias | equity | promoting diversity |
biased | ethnicity | pronoun |
biased toward | excluded | pronouns |
biases | exclusion | prostitute |
biases towards | expression | race |
biologically female | female | race and ethnicity |
biologically male | females | racial |
BIPOC | feminism | racial diversity |
Black | fostering inclusivity | racial identity |
breastfeed + people | GBV | racial inequality |
breastfeed + person | gender | racial justice |
chestfeed + people | gender based | racially |
chestfeed + person | gender based violence | racism |
clean energy | gender diversity | segregation |
climate crisis | gender identity | sense of belonging |
climate science | gender ideology | sex |
commercial sex worker | gender-affirming care | sexual preferences |
community diversity | genders | sexuality |
community equity | Gulf of Mexico | social justice |
confirmation bias | hate speech | sociocultural |
cultural competence | health disparity | socioeconomic |
cultural differences | health equity | status |
cultural heritage | hispanic minority | stereotype |
cultural sensitivity | historically | stereotypes |
culturally appropriate | identity | systemic |
culturally responsive | immigrants | systemically |
DEI | implicit bias | they/them |
DEIA | implicit biases | trans |
DEIAB | inclusion | transgender |
DEIJ | inclusive | transsexual |
disabilities | inclusive leadership | trauma |
disability | inclusiveness | traumatic |
discriminated | inclusivity | tribal |
discrimination | increase diversity | unconscious bias |
discriminatory | increase the diversity | underappreciated |
disparity | indigenous community | underprivileged |
institutional | inequalities | underrepresentation |
intersectional | inequality | underrepresented |
intersectionality | inequitable | underserved |
key groups | inequities | undervalued |
key people | inequity | victim |
key populations | injustice | victims |
Latinx | men who have sex with men | vulnerable populations |
LGBT | mental health | women |
LGBTQ | minorities | women and underrepresented |
marginalize | minority | MSM |
marginalized | most risk | multicultural |
Mx | Native American | non-binary |
MSM | nonbinary | underprivileged |
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