When President Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, the official White House website got a number of updates out to reflect the new administration. One change that quickly got attention from LGBTQ rights advocates was the addition of gender-neutral pronouns on the website’s contact form.
Now, if someone wants to leave a message on the White House website, they can choose from a variety of pronouns, including she/her, he/him, they/them, other or prefer not to share. A user can also choose the gender-neutral Mx. as an option instead of Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., other or none.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, noted the change and shared the news on social media:
The @WhiteHouse website contact form now asks for your pronouns. pic.twitter.com/W5S36efo1d
— GLAAD (@glaad) January 20, 2021
“On Day One, the Biden administration has taken immediate steps to include trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people in the conversation,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement. “Pronouns matter, and adding inclusive pronouns to a contact form is more than just a demonstration of allyship. Research has shown that recognition and respect of our pronouns can make all the difference for our health and wellbeing — especially when it comes to LGBTQ youth.”
President Biden has also already signed an executive order clarifying the protection of gay and transgender people in schools, workplaces and health care based on last year’s Supreme Court ruling that gay and transgender workers are covered under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“It is the policy of my Administration to prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation and to fully enforce Title VII [of the Civil Rights of 1964] and other laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation,” according to the executive order.
In another show of the administration’s commitment to diversity, President Biden nominated Dr. Rachel Levine to be his assistant secretary of health. She would be the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
