Political Cartoons 3-16-2025

 

Be Careful...

Do You Wear Your Wife's Clothes...

Or Yours?

 

How many of us have been here?

 

Tell us your story.

Department of Gender Enforcement

By: Rhonda Williams

DGE is a newly funder department that is part of  DOGE. It is the follow-up to the administration's strict "male / female" gender mandate. It is being established to prevent cross-gender expression. With two departments; sports (competition / locker-room enforcement, bathroom monitoring) and a second department to define dress-code definitions. These new departments will oversee monitoring, training, enforcement and punishment. 

Private citizens are being recruited and trained to visually check / report suspected infractions. A reward of $500.00 per arrest and conviction will be provided to the individuals who aid the agency in rooting out the scourge of those who are not properly representing their birth-gender. 

Individuals who do not appear sufficiently masculine of feminine are encouraged to report to their local DGE office with birth certificate to receive a wrist barcode tattoo. This will help with misidentification.  

All children by the age of puberty must be barcoded by a registered and approved DGE physician who will verify that their emerging genetalia clearly agrees with their birth certificate. If necessary, a DNA / chromosome test may be necessary. A life tattoo will then be applied that cannot be altered under penalty of law.  

This tattoo is subject to inspection on demand before an individual can participate in any sporting event or use public facilities. Also the tattoo must be inspected by all merchants selling / providing gender specific under garments of outer-wear. The item SKU will be scanned along with the tattoo to collaborate and approve purchases.

Unacceptable androgynous behavior
under "DGE Guidelines"

The same verification must be carried out for all cosmetic products, and jewelry. A database of attempted violations will be kept at the national level to ensure enforcement. First time offenders will be sent a letter with a one-time warning. Repeat offenders will be subject to aversion therapy, followed by strict mongering to prevent future cross-gender presentations or activity. 

Incarceration is the punishment of last resort. However, it will be used to protect the public. 

To help individuals understand the masculine / feminine differential, seminars both online and in person will be required. Certification will occur after passing a test and a notation placed in the government's Gender Representation Database. Even the slightest violation of androgynous behavior or presentation will trigger re-training and/or punishment.  

An online manual will be published soon defining proper gender appropriate foot ware with acceptable heel heights. Hair styling will be monitored closely with street-cam photos using AI technology / enforcement. Wigs will be completely outlawed.

Further clarification with enforcement procedure will be forthcoming.  

_______________________

Think this cannot happen?

Read Diana’s Little Corner in the Nutmeg State - Off The Deep End!

"Cis woman confronted by police officers in Arizona Walmart restroom for looking too masculine speaks out (exclusive)"

And, my blog post.

Texas Bill Could Charge Transgender People With 'Fraud'...

Leading to Possible Prison Time

LGBTQ community advocates worry that transgender individuals who have changed some of their legal documents, but not all, might be targeted.

My Note:  This bill seems improbable. However, so did the first bathroom bill 9 years ago. (March 2016: The North Carolina HB2) Could someone who dresses in the clothing of the opposite gender, not also be committing "Gender Identity Fraud"? The crossdressers have been obtuse to the transgender plight until now... Soooo;

What is it going to take for us to become united, standup and fight!

First they came for the Transgender 

And I did not speak out 

Because I was only a 'crossdresser'"....

You know the rest!

_____________________ 

Monday, March 10, 2025

The Latin Times: A Texas lawmaker filed a bill that would amend the Texas Penal Code to include a new criminal offense: "Gender Identity Fraud." In House Bill 3817, Rep. Tom Oliverson (R-Houston), details that a person could commit gender identity fraud by "identifying the person's biological sex as the opposite of the biological sex assigned to the person at birth."

Those found guilty could face up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine if the legislative proposal were to become law. LGBTQ community advocates have expressed concern over the possible criminalization of transgender individuals, particularly those who have changed some of their legal documents, but not all.

Texas stopped letting transgender people update the gender on their driver's licenses in 2024. It's unclear whether those who changed their licenses before the ban could face legal trouble under this new bill.

In an interview with Houston-based publication Chron, Callie Butcher, founder of a Dallas law firm that serves LGBTQ individuals, condemned the language being used in the bill, claiming it is in line with Republican efforts to "police people's gender and how they're able to identify themselves."

Sadie Hernandez, a spokesperson for the Transgender Education Network of Texas, told the news outlet that while the transgender community is "facing threats at all levels of government," HB 3817 is unlikely to make it out of both legislative chambers and into the governor's desk due to its "low priority" status.

As of Sunday evening, HB 3817 was just getting started in the legislative process, sitting at Stage 1 of seven. For it to become law, it has a long road ahead. First, a House committee has to review and approve it. Then, it moves to the full House chamber for a vote. If it passes there, it goes through the same process in the Senate—first a committee, then the full Texas Senate. If it clears all those hurdles, the final step is getting Texas Governor Greg Abbott's signature.

Since the bill has no co-sponsors and hasn't been assigned to a committee yet, political observers predict it might just get overlooked. With more than 3,000 other proposals already in the mix—many of them considered top priorities—this one could easily get lost in the shuffle.

Top Republicans across the country, especially in Texas, successfully used anti-LGBTQ messaging in their 2024 campaigns, with most of their focus targeting the transgender community.

​Additionally, in his inaugural address, President Donald Trump declared, "As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female."

Following his speech, President Trump signed Executive Order 14168, titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," which formalized the recognition of only two genders within federal policy.

I Love A Success Story - Sona Avedian

 TRANSITION INSPIRATION

Political Cartoons 3-9-2025

 

Be A Girl...

 

You Only Accept What You Think You Deserve

We accept things that belittle us or make us unhappy, because it’s an easier option than standing up for what we are or what we want.    

Rhonda Williams 

Here is a bit of an explanation for my "Knock-Knock" post last Saturday.  My daily blog views are down 75% since Trump took office. Is the fear so palpable that even reading about being transgender is striking fear? Seems so. "Is Musk accessing my browser history?"

The Guardian: Research by TotalJobs finds 65% now believe secrecy is necessary to feel safe at work in the UK.

However, I do want to thank those of you that provided positive comments. There seems to be a core group of 40-50 readers.   

Back in the 80's I attended a Support Group that ahead of the meeting sent out a newsletter to its members only. Although the hotel was never mentioned the newsletter contained a veiled description of a vehicle (every month different) with a number noted on the dash. This was our room number for our meeting.  

I attend another Support Group meeting in the early 2000's where the restaurant only allowed use of a toilet in a cleaning supply closet; dirty mops, smelly trash bags and bleach bottles everywhere. The meeting took place in a dingy meeting room that was no longer used. The florescent lights, that worked, likely had not been changed since the 70's. I pulled up to the front to valet my car, was told to only park in the back and to enter through the service entrance. 

Are we headed back to this? Don't blame Trump. Blane yourself for being willing to accept being treated as second-class humans. 

The readers I have lost will not see this.  So it is up to you, my loyal readers, to stand up, contact your friends, organize, and don't let the bastards win. 

By being cowards, is not how the gays gained acceptance / tolerance. If we don't stand up, be visible and be proud then we are destine to be relegated to invisibility. And, the service entrance. 

Where will you be on March 31?

Try Doing Something...

Stephen Colbert’s brutal three-word message to Dems who protested Trump speech

 

My Note on Tuesday night:  I guess a few walked out, however most sat and took the insults as they were "deserved"; even applauding. We don't have an opposition party.  Until the Democrats find a spine and a leader, we are destine to go further down the Trump/Musk rabbit hole.  

With no opposition party, the billionaire controlled press, and a non-functioning checks-and-balance system, the outlooks looks bleak.  

I Am Creating...

 And will continue. 

Be Strong! Be Visible! Be Yourself!

Killing Me Softly - Roberta Flack

 

You're listening to the official audio for Roberta Flack - "Killing Me Softly With His Song" from the album 'Killing Me Softly'. This version of "Killing Me Softly With His Song" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973 and won the Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Very Proud...

Today I am going to talk about something dear to my heart; my daughters and what they have established. Living in Bar Harbor Maine, my daughter Robin started Acadia Ebike Adventure, Ebike rentals in Acadia National Park.  

Two of my daughters at the Ebike shop
Palm Beach Ebike Rentals

After several very successful season there and desiring to escape the Maine winter, she brought the bikes to South Florida for the winter.    

With her sisters they have established Palm Beach Ebike Rentals. All of the sisters are involved and stay busy. One of my daughter designed a three hour guided tour of downtown West Palm Beach and Palm Beach. Plus rentals are available by the hour or day to explore. With new Ebikes purchased (painted Palm Beach Pink) and a few from Bar Harbor, they found a great location next to the West Palm Beach Brightline train station. The grand opening party was in November. Anyone coming in for the day on Brightline from Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, or Miami need only walk about 25 yards to the rental location. A great day-trip adventure.  

The bike vary in size to fit the rider, from small to x-large. Plus, you are fitted with the proper seat adjustments for your most comfortable bike before you go out. The parking lot allows you to practice. 

Robin and Scotti, have really done a first class job with mugs, t-shirts, maps, bike headsets, and child bicycle trailers. The bikes are easy to handle and all of the downtown streets are bike-friendly. If you get tired of peddling, just let the Ebike power you to the beach, a Palm Beach open air cafe or the Worth Avenue Shops. Detail maps are provided. 

All bikes have oversize baskets, for beach towels, picnic supplies and your shopping adventure purchases. 

The Ebike shop is conveniently located one block away from the The Saturday West Palm Beach GreenMarket. it is Routinely ranked as one of the best farmers markets in the country.

Another good reason for a Brightline / Ebike day-trip to Palm Beach.  

From their site:  Palm Beach Ebikes. 

Scenic Palm Beach Ebike Guided Tour

Join our local guides for a scenic ride on our premium electric bikes. Our group tours offer a peek into the lifestyles and grandeur of Palm Beach, past and present, revealing hidden treasures along the way ensuring you enjoy every moment of this unforgettable adventure. Incudes 2 hour guided tour and 1 hour self-guided Ebike rental.

Private guided Ebike tours. 

An intimate and discerning private tour perfect for couples, gatherings, celebrations or corporate events. Let us design an Ebike tour to explore Palm Beach with a curated custom itinerary and start times based on your preferences. Call to reserve an exclusive guided tour.  Hotel bike delivery and pickup is available. 

Discover Palm Beach on your own with an Ebike

Or for leisurely rides on you own, Palm Beach Ebike Rentals offers the ultimate way to discover West Palm Beach and Palm Beach with premium electric bike rentals and scenic guided tours. Located in downtown West Palm Beach, we provide a fun, effortless riding experience for all fitness levels. Join us for an exhilarating Palm Beach Ebike adventure!  Our easy-to-follow route maps with suggested stops will help you discover the best sights, dining, and attractions on your own schedule.

Due to high demand, we recommend reserving online to secure your Ebike rental.  For a "Friends-and-Family" discount just say "Rhonda Sent Me"

 

Political Cartoons 3-2-2025

 

Knock-Knock...

Anyone Home? 

The problem is, I do care. In July this blog will be eleven years old and as of today 3,600 post. Interesting 3,516 days and 3,600 post. 

My question - Are you going to just give up? Go back to the closet?  Quake from fear and let the bigots win? Are you afraid to read, comment or let the world know who/what you are? 

We exist and deserve the same rights as all. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Transgender rights are human rights.   

However, is our whole community so afraid they don't read Blogs any longer? Or Comment? Or follow? 

Makes me question if I should care? 

Window Shopping - A Sunday Adventure

 

My grandparents ran a country general store. Their only day off was Sunday and it was first taken up with Sunday morning Church Services.  After, a country Sunday noon lunch  which was my grandmother's most important meal of the week. We called the mid-day meal dinner and the evening meal supper. Sunday was the meal we all shared together because of the rotating store schedule (7am - to 7pm). Saturday preparations went into the Sunday dinner and it was something I always looked forward to.

Next in the afternoon was visiting, my grandfather's bothers, my grandmother's nieces or a fun family outing. My grandfather was a man of many interest and we went to museums, national parks, car/boat races, nearby historical attractions, Virginia Civil War battlefields, and we went into town for "Window Shopping".    

Of particular interest was the ladies shops with their displays of shoes, dresses and hats. To this day I am not sure if this was my grandmother's Sunday special treat or my grandfather's. As I look back, never did he protest and we did linger as we walked the two block downtown. Being it was Sunday, no stores was open. This was special times, never rushed and even after visits to family and friends we often end up downtown. I loved it.  

I only wish now I could ask questions...  My grandparent were special and taking me in was likely the most fortunate event of my young life. I only wish I had said "I love you" more often. 

My Grandparents
after church in our back yard. 

 

Bra Styles - More Notes from the Lingerie Store

HubPages: That should be enough information to give you at least a start in the bra-seeking game. 

My Notes: I believe that my Soma store carries 43 different styles. I am not sure where we differ from the video. Style is different from "Band" (measured around chest) where our store sizes got from 32 to 44.  The Cup sized (calculated) differs from style and we carry from "B" to "G" with a few "H" cup sizes. Stocking and find a specific style / band / cup is daunting.

The YouTube above will help with different styles, however to get the best fit please consider being measured.  After being measured we always suggest several style based on your preference of under-wire or not.  Another personal preference is the amount of coverage: low often is often referred to as a "demi" or "plunge" with full-coverage bras being the opposes.  

Also the use plays into the choice: Nude t-shirt bra are best for form-fitting every day use. Convertible bras (straps adjust or can be removed) work best with off-the-shoulder or halter evening wear. Sports bras for exercising also great for weekend lounging, offer a more structured shape for maximum support.  Front close or pull-on are another style option that many times helps with entry and exit.  

Getting the first or best fit bra is a big step in a young girl becoming a woman. Likewise for us. Do not underestimate the the power of this life's development step.   

Feel free to ask any questions you might have in the comments section if you would like more information.  

The Engineering

More Americans identify as LGBTQ+ than ever before, poll finds

The proportion of American adults who identify as LGBTQ+ has risen to 9.3% of the population, according to a Gallup Poll released Thursday.

By Kristen Rogers, CNN
Thursday February 20, 2025

The finding represents an increase of more than 1 percentage point from 2023’s estimate. The proportion of the population identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or non-heterosexual has nearly doubled since 2020 and has jumped from 3.5% since 2012, when it was first measured by Gallup, an analytics and advisory company based in Washington, DC.

Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth, via email.

“If there is one thing that people should take away from these new findings, it is this: LGBTQ+ people have always been here, and we will continue to be here, no matter what laws or policies attempt to erase us,” 

The boost has a lot to do with young people, who have been much more likely than older generations to identify as something other than heterosexual, Gallup said.

“More than one in five Gen Z adults — those born between 1997 and 2006, who were between the ages of 18 and 27 in 2024 — identify as LGBTQ+,” according to Gallup’s report. “Each older generation of adults, from millennials to the Silent Generation, has successively lower rates of identification, down to 1.8% among the oldest Americans, those born before 1946.”

Read more ... 

There are currently 390 bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.

“Regardless of a person’s politics, I hope this poll helps lawmakers and leaders across the U.S. see LGBTQ+ people for who we are: people who exist and belong in every community, in every corner of this country,” Black said. “We just want to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect, like anyone else.”

Hunter Schafer and Her Passport Gender Marker

 

‘Euphoria’ star Hunter Schafer says passport gender marker change ‘doesn’t change anything about me or my transness’

Hunter Schafer at the 77th edition of the
 Cannes Film Festival in Cannes

See my, "I love A Success Story - Hunter Schafer" from August 2020.

CNN  — Hunter Schafer has shared that the gender marker on her passport has been changed to list her as male.

The “Euphoria” actress posted a video on social media in which she explained that she had to get a new passport after her original was stolen while she was filming in Spain last year.

“Now, to specify, my gender markers were first changed in my teens, when I first got my driver’s license and then passports following all have been female since then,” the 26-year-old said. “Hasn’t really been a problem.”

But now, because of an executive order from the new presidential administration, her new passport has an “M” for male.

The “Cuckoo” star said she was “not making this post to fear-monger, or to create drama, or receive consolation, I don’t need it.”

“But I do think it’s worth posting to sort of note the reality of the situation and that it’s happening,” she continued. “I was shocked. I just didn’t think it was actually going to happen.”

Schafer added that she wants “to acknowledge my privilege, not only as a celebrity transwoman who is white,” and said she believes the fact she never changed her birth certificate may have contributed to the recent change.

“I don’t know exactly what changed as far as the processing goes, but this is the first time this has happened to me since I changed my gender marker,” Schafer said. “We’re coming up on a decade now, or something. And I do believe it is a direct result of the administration our country is currently operating under. And I guess I’m just sort of scared of the way this stuff slowly gets implemented.”

She also had some strong words for the administration.

“I also want to say, I don’t give a f**k that they put an ‘M’ on my passport,” she said. “It doesn’t change really anything about me or my transness, however it does make life a little harder.”

Schafer said she will be testing out how difficult it will be as she soon has to travel outside of the country for work with her new passport for the first time.

“I’m pretty sure it’s going to come along with having to out myself to border patrol agents… much more often than I would like to or is really necessary,” she said, adding that she’s also thinking about other trans people who this might be happening to.

Schafer not the only trans star speaking out.

While recently promoting her new series “Clean Slate” Laverne Cox discussed the importance of remaining visible as a trans performer, and telling trans stories as her community is “experiencing the most intense backlash against trans visibility that I’ve seen in my lifetime.”

“Executive orders limiting our rights, 26 states banned gender affirming care for young people, banning us from the military, from bathrooms… there’s this whole anti-trans thing, and we’re less than 1% of the population,” Cox said. “Someone in my comment section said, ‘They’re worried about the wrong 1%.’”

Is This Crossdressing?

I’m Just an Ordinary Guy Who Loves Wearing Skirts and Dresses and Believes We Shouldn’t Assign Gender to a Piece Fabric

Connor has loved fashion since
he was a teen so he’s always
dressed in an “out there” style.

Today, we have more and more people who are going against the “pink is for girls, blue is for boys” mindset, and who are trying to experiment with their looks. Among them is Connor Keaney, a 26-year-old from Kings Norton, UK, who doesn’t conform to gendered fashion and dons dresses and skirts. Connor’s bold style is inspiring and shows that our understanding of clothes might be somewhat obsolete.

We at Bright Side admire Connor and hope his story can help and empower other people, especially those who are struggling with their identity and insecurities.

When the likes of Harry Styles started to wear skirts and dresses, Connor felt it was a sign. The same day, he went and got a skirt and put it on and he felt amazing. “I just knew it was for me,” Connor says. “I felt confident and beautiful and didn’t care if people thought it wasn’t for me!” Connor has been wearing all kinds of clothes for 2 years now.

Connor always wanted to take a photo near a “proud bab” graffiti in Birmingham city center, but couldn’t find the right outfit. He tried on some “manly” looks, but never felt cool or comfortable enough. He searched high and low until he came across a black skirt in a thrift store. “I have never felt so confident, beautiful, sassy, comfy, and cool, and I will never look back!” he says.

He believes it’s about time we get rid of gender labels, especially in regards to something as simple as clothing.

Connor’s answer is simple and beautiful: go with your own style. “Don’t look at the internet and Instagram, and don’t wish to be like them all. Be yourself, believe me, you will get much further in life and be loved a lot more. If you want to wear a ball gown to the supermarket, then you do you, boo!”

What clothes have you always wanted to try but haven’t yet?

Political Cartoons 2-23-2025

 

Men Should Be Free to...

 Source:  Pinterest - CDLOVER

The Lavender Scare - Part 2

America is in the grip of a new ‘Lavender Scare,’ spreading fear of LGBTQ+ people

Gordie Felger

May 21, 2023

The cover of the Hoey committee report
released Dec. 15, 1950,
concluding that homosexuals were unsuitable for
employment in the federal government

My Note: Since 2023 the situation has become more dire with the election of Trump and comrades. Take solace; time is never kind to dictators / strongmen and historically the hate implodes. Knowing that history is on our side helps. The last paragraph adds suggestions.  Be brave! Be Proud!

_______________

In the early 1950s, the Eisenhower administration fired or barred thousands of gay, lesbian, and transgender people from federal government jobs. It was the Cold War era when fear of communists, called “The Red Scare,” overtook America. [Today it is the DEI hires and concept that is destroying the country]]. 

A questionable connection between communists and “homosexuals” arose from the following “reasoning.” Communists would threaten to out “homosexuals,” blackmailing them into giving state secrets to communist governments. Therefore, “homosexuals” posed a national security risk. This was called “The Lavender Scare.”

To discredit LGBTQ+ people and to justify persecuting them, they were called “perverts” and “sexual deviants.” They were portrayed as sexual predators who wanted to corrupt young men and boys. Once people were outed, their job prospects dried up. This senseless discrimination ruined lives. And took lives. This hysteria occurred despite no proof that a queer person ever cooperated with a foreign government.

Roy Cohn and Joseph McCarthy

Seventy years later, America is again in the grip of a Lavender Scare. Republican-majority states are copy-and-pasting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation from one statehouse to the next with frightening speed and ruthlessness. Legislation like “Don’t Say Gay” bills, halting gender-affirming care for transgender youth, and banning LGBTQ+-themed books seek to silence, erase, or drive out queer people. Requiring a trusted teacher to out a gay or transgender student puts the teacher in an impossible moral position and potentially puts the student in danger.

Also, like during the 1950s’ Lavender Scare, queer people (and their allies) are labeled with a dangerous slur. The word used now is “groomer.” This inaccurate characterization implies, as before, that LGBTQ+ people want to “recruit” children into their “lifestyle.”

History:

In a dramatic confrontation, Joseph Welch, special counsel for the U.S. Army, lashes out at Senator Joseph McCarthy during hearings on whether communism has infiltrated the U.S. armed forces. Welch’s verbal assault—including the enduring question "Have you no sense of decency?"—marked the end of McCarthy’s power during the anticommunist hysteria of the Red Scare in America.

This word and this attitude are dangerous because we’ve seen time and again that words influence behavior. Note the recent increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans, Latinos, and Jews following the use of racist language. We’ve also seen a spike in death threats to politicians and federal employees.

When people are told to fear them, “the others” become easy targets. We are told “the others” are dangerous; we have a right to defend ourselves from “them.” Slurs are rooted in misinformation and fear. Hurtful words become hateful attitudes. Hateful attitudes become violent acts.

The truth is LGBTQ+ people want what we all want: To be treated with dignity. To live and raise families in safety. To gain an education. To have fulfilling jobs. To be afforded the same rights as any other American citizen. To have the right to exist. Queer people are not out to destroy your way of life, harm your children, or “replace” you. We ask for peaceful, respectful coexistence.

Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s good that only a few of Iowa’s 30+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills became law. Or that the Iowa Legislature will stop at condemning only transgender youth. The bills that were not passed are still out there. Other rights will fall — rights like gender-affirming care for transgender adults, same-sex marriage, and anti-discrimination protections in hiring and housing.

The hard-earned progress made in the last 50 years could be undone within the next decade. Remember, Iowa was among the first states in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage in 2009, six years before it became the law of the land. Being anti-LGBTQ+ is not an Iowa value. The Iowa Legislature’s majority party is importing these ideas and forcing them on us, because they can.

Becoming an ally is not hard but it takes more than attending Pride Fest once a year. Educate yourself, then educate others. Get involved civically. Stand up for LGBTQ+ people. Write your elected officials. Vote for candidates who support LGBTQ+ rights. Our friends need us more now than ever!

Not Americia's First Purge

What Happened the Last Time a President Purged the Bureaucracy

By Clay Risen

02/06/2025

Flowers were placed outside
of the USAID headquarters in Washington.

My Note: Please Read to understand that this is not the first purge.

On Jan. 22, 1953, his first day as secretary of state, John Foster Dulles addressed a group of diplomats at his department’s still-new headquarters in Washington’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood. For years, the State Department had come under fire from Republicans and conservative activists as a haven for Communist spies and sympathizers — and not without reason, since one of its rising stars, Alger Hiss, had been convicted of perjury in January 1950 for lying about giving secret government documents to a Soviet spy.

The failure to find more Hisses, and the fact that Hiss’ actions had taken place over a decade in the past, did nothing to appease men like Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who shot to national prominence just weeks after Hiss’ conviction with his claim to have a list of hundreds of spies within the State Department. By the time Dulles arrived that morning, public faith in the department, and morale within it, had cratered.

With his opening speech to his new employees, Dulles made clear that while he was their boss, he was not on their side. “Dulles’s words were as cold and raw as the weather” that day, wrote the diplomat Charles Bohlen. Dulles announced that starting that day, he expected not just loyalty but “positive loyalty” from his charges, making clear that he would fire anyone whose commitment to anti-communism was less than zealous. “It was a declaration by the Secretary of State that the department was indeed suspect,” Bohlen wrote. “The remark disgusted some Foreign Service officers, infuriated others, and displeased even those who were looking forward to the new administration.”

So began what — until now — was the largest purge of “disloyal” government workers in U.S. history.

Similar scenes soon played out across the federal government under the new administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the first Republican elected president in two decades. Though the State Department was ground zero for the anti-communist purges, FBI agents scoured the files of thousands of employees across the federal government. In April 1953, Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10450, which opened an energetic campaign to investigate thousands of potential security threats throughout the government.

...

The widespread political purges of the early 1950s echo clearly today. Seventy years ago, the reasonable pretext of hunting Soviet agents opened the way to a yearslong, paranoid campaign, motivated by outlandish conspiracy theories, that destroyed countless careers but did nothing to improve America’s security.

Today, a stated desire to check the excesses of diversity, equity and inclusion programs has already been used to justify whirlwind firings and closures of entire federal offices. So it may be wise to consider the consequences of that previous era of purges, part of what came to be known as the “Red Scare.”

At a time of intense geopolitical competition, the United States kneecapped itself, removing thousands of valuable employees and forcing those who remained into unhappy conformity. It is hard not to see the same mistake being repeated today

The Purge of 2025

The Full text of Executive Order 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.”

Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing
EXECUTIVE ORDER

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose and Policy.  The Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the Federal Government, in areas ranging from airline safety to the military.  This was a concerted effort stemming from President Biden’s first day in office, when he issued Executive Order 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.”

Pursuant to Executive Order 13985 and follow-on orders, nearly every Federal agency and entity submitted “Equity Action Plans” to detail the ways that they have furthered DEIs infiltration of the Federal Government.  The public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination.  That ends today.  Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.

Sec. 2.  Implementation.  (a)  The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), assisted by the Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), shall coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.  To carry out this directive, the Director of OPM, with the assistance of the Attorney General as requested, shall review and revise, as appropriate, all existing Federal employment practices, union contracts, and training policies or programs to comply with this order.  Federal employment practices, including Federal employee performance reviews, shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements.

(b)  Each agency, department, or commission head, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Director of OMB, and the Director of OPM, as appropriate, shall take the following actions within sixty days of this order:

(i)    terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” offices and positions (including but not limited to “Chief Diversity Officer” positions); all “equity action plans,” “equity” actions, initiatives, or programs, “equity-related” grants or contracts; and all DEI or DEIA performance requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees.

(ii)   provide the Director of the OMB with a list of all:

(A)  agency or department DEI, DEIA, or “environmental justice” positions, committees, programs, services, activities, budgets, and expenditures in existence on November 4, 2024, and an assessment of whether these positions, committees, programs, services, activities, budgets, and expenditures have been misleadingly relabeled in an attempt to preserve their pre-November 4, 2024 function;

(B)  Federal contractors who have provided DEI training or DEI training materials to agency or department employees; and

(C)  Federal grantees who received Federal funding to provide or advance DEI, DEIA, or “environmental justice” programs, services, or activities since January 20, 2021.

(iii)  direct the deputy agency or department head to:

(A) assess the operational impact (e.g., the number of new DEI hires) and cost of the prior administration’s DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” programs and policies; and

(B) recommend actions, such as Congressional notifications under 28 U.S.C. 530D, to align agency or department programs, activities, policies, regulations, guidance, employment practices, enforcement activities, contracts (including set-asides), grants, consent orders, and litigating positions with the policy of equal dignity and respect identified in section 1 of this order.  The agency or department head and the Director of OMB shall jointly ensure that the deputy agency or department head has the authority and resources needed to carry out this directive.

(c)  To inform and advise the President, so that he may formulate appropriate and effective civil-rights policies for the Executive Branch, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy shall convene a monthly meeting attended by the Director of OMB, the Director of OPM, and each deputy agency or department head to:

(i)    hear reports on the prevalence and the economic and social costs of DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” in agency or department programs, activities, policies, regulations, guidance, employment practices, enforcement activities, contracts (including set-asides), grants, consent orders, and litigating positions;

(ii)   discuss any barriers to measures to comply with this order; and

(iii)  monitor and track agency and department progress and identify potential areas for additional Presidential or legislative action to advance the policy of equal dignity and respect.

Sec. 3.  Severability.  If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected.

Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

THE WHITE HOUSE,    

January 20, 2025.January 20, 2025