Weaponizing Protection: How 'Women's Rights' and 'Child Safety' Are Being Used to Advance Discriminatory Practices

February 18, 2025

When Protection is a Pretext for Exclusion

Across government policies, a disturbing pattern is unfolding—diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are being dismantled, and in the latest unconstitutional overreach, discriminatory measures targeting gender identity are being rebranded as efforts to safeguard women's rights and child safety.

What's being framed as protection is, in reality, an orchestrated effort to rollback inclusion, erasing hard-fought protections for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people.

Let's be clear, this isn't about protection—it's about erasure.

A Clear Pattern of Discriminatory Attacks

GLAAD has documented 227+ policy and rhetorical attacks against LGBTQ+ Americans under the Trump administration. One of the most alarming recent actions is the January 20, 2025, executive order titled: "Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." This order:

Mandates federal agencies to interpret "sex" strictly as biological, effectively eliminating gender identity recognition in policy.
Removes all federal agency materials that promote gender inclusion or acknowledge non-binary identities.
Blocks federal funding for gender-affirming care, restricting access to essential medical treatment.

While framed as a measure to protect women and children, these policies unequivocally deliver the opposite—they seek to eliminate protections for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive individuals, making them more vulnerable to discrimination, healthcare restrictions, and workplace exclusions.

The False Narratives of 'Protection'

Redefining 'Women's Rights' to Exclude Transgender People: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has aligned with this directive, making changes that:

Eliminate workplace protections for transgender and nonbinary employees, removing previous guidance on gender identity discrimination.
Prioritize "biological sex" over inclusive workplace policies, signaling that gender identity will no longer be a protected category.
Roll back protections for employees who do not conform to binary gender norms, leaving them more vulnerable to workplace discrimination.

Rather than protecting women, these changes reduce protections for anyone who does not fit their definitions which "recognizes two sexes."

Framing Anti-Transgender Policies as 'Child Protection': Several policies targeting transgender youth have been introduced under the pretense of "safeguarding children," including:

Cuts to federal funding for gender-affirming care for minors, making puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender-affirming procedures financially inaccessible.
Pressure on hospitals to stop treating transgender youth, forcing some medical providers to discontinue care out of fear of losing federal funding.
Threats against schools that support transgender students, including legal action against teachers who allow students to socially transition.

By labeling gender-affirming healthcare and education policies as "harmful," these measures remove vital support systems for transgender youth while creating fear and uncertainty for families, schools, and healthcare providers.

BRIDGE. GO FORWARD.

These reversals are not just political—they have significant implications for workplaces, communities, and public policy. Here are some ideas that we can collectively action on as business leaders, allies, and advocates:

For Business Leaders & Employers:

Reaffirm commitment to inclusive policies that explicitly protect employees of all gender identities.
Review HR policies to ensure workplace protections for transgender employees remain intact.
Support Employee Resource Groups focused on LGBTQ+ inclusion and gender equity.

For Advocates & Allies:

Use clear, fact-based language when discussing these policies to counter misinformation.
Amplify the work of advocacy organizations like GLAAD and the ACLU, which are actively challenging these reversals.

For Policymakers & Community Leaders:

Push for state and local protections to counteract federal-level policy shifts.
Educate stakeholders—from corporate leadership to local government—on the real impact of these measures on vulnerable communities.

Policies framed as protection should not be used as a pretext for exclusion. These reversals do not defend women or safeguard children—they restrict rights, limit protections, and create barriers.

Join me in the comments to continue the conversation on how workplaces, communities, and policymakers can take action in tangible ways.