- President Donald Trump signed numerous Executive orders when he was sworn in on Monday.
- One of those orders was the Defending Women from Gender Ideology, which states the Federal Government will only recognize two sexes, male and female.
- Watch video above to hear how neighbors feel about this.
State Rep Emily Dievendorf said how they identify isn't always understood, and Dievendorf said an executive order signed by President Donald Trump backs up this claim.
“It is harmful in the way it perpetuates discrimination against trans and non binary folk,” Dievendorf said.
The order, signed by Trump shortly after his inauguration, highlights how the new administration is aiming to protect women by only identifying two sexes on the federal level -- male and female.
That means those will be the only sexes written on federal documents like ID's and passports.
The order also prevents non biological women from accessing certain single sex spaces and activities.
“The way President Trump is defining women in an act that he claims will protect women, while he continues to attack reproductive health and insist that women are a specific set of characteristics that needs to be protected, is limiting women’s rights,” Dievendorf said.
“If you're a guy, you can't play on the women's basketball team, volleyball team or swim team, you gotta play on the men's team,” Norm Shinkle said.
Republican and former Michigan Senator Shinkle supports the executive order.
“You could dress up as a male or female all you want but when you were born one or the other your document has to say that,” Shinkle said.
As for our neighbors, Dievendorf doesn't see this applying to Michigan, with the state's recent expansion of the Elliot Larsen Act.
“That means that we do have protections in place for public services, housing and public accommodations for trans and LGBTQ People and that is not reversible under this legislature,” Dievendorf said.
