Employees across multiple federal agencies were instructed to remove pronouns from their email signatures by Friday afternoon, according to reports. The directive cited two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office, aimed at dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal government.
A memo from Jason Bonander, the CDC’s Chief Information Officer, stated that all pronouns and unauthorized information must be removed from employee email signatures by 5 p.m. ET on Friday. S
imilar directives were issued to employees at the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy, with officials explaining that the change aligns with Trump’s executive order requiring the elimination of DEI-related language in federal communications and publications.
The Department of Transportation’s directive came on the same day it was handling the aftermath of a plane crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Meanwhile, the Office of Personnel Management issued a separate memo instructing agencies to disable email system features that prompt users to include pronouns.
Although it remains unclear if other federal agencies received similar orders, the move is part of the Trump administration’s broader push to eliminate diversity and equity initiatives in government.
One long-time CDC employee expressed frustration over the mandate, noting that they had never previously been restricted in what they could include in their email signature.
Spokespersons for the affected agencies have yet to comment.
