In a series of truly mind-boggling reports on Monday, all three network morning shows bizarrely accused the Trump administration of considering “changing the definition of gender” by simply reversing Obama-era regulations that actually did change the definition of gender by abandoning the scientific and biological meaning of the term.
The NBC, ABC, and CBS broadcasts all seized on a Sunday New York Times article that warned, “‘Transgender’ Could Be Defined Out of Existence Under Trump Administration.” The fearful Times story was based on a draft memo that the paper obtained from the Department of Health and Human Services, detailing a policy proposal that may or may not be implemented.
On NBC’s Today show, co-host Hoda Kotb fretted: “The Trump administration is considering changing the definition of gender. So, what is that all about?” White House Correspondent Kristen Welker summarized:
Well, Hoda, The New York Times is reporting that the Trump administration is considering that move that would define the term “transgender” essentially out of existence. So the question is, how would that happen? Well, the administration would narrowly define gender as a biological condition determined at birth.
Viewers could be forgiven if they heard that statement and thought the administration’s proposal accurately defined gender. Instead, Welker confidently described how wrong it supposedly was:
That change could significantly roll back protections of transgender people under federal law. Now, the Obama administration infuriated conservatives with a series of decisions that expanded federal protections for those who are transgender by recognizing gender largely as an individual’s choice and not determined at birth.
Moments later, she cited left-wing activists denouncing the potential policy: “The Human Rights Campaign said such a move would set a destructive precedent.”
“And according to The New York Times...the Trump administration is considering rolling back protections for transgender people by narrowing the definition of gender to a biological condition determined at birth. Gender would be defined as only male or female,” worried fill-in co-host Cecilia Vega during a news brief on ABC’s Good Morning America.
She also cited the Human Rights Campaign bashing the possible move as “a destructive precedent.”
“The Trump administration reportedly is taking steps to remove all legal protection for transgender Americans,” decried co-host Norah O’Donnell on CBS This Morning. She further proclaimed:
The New York Times says the Department of Health and Human Services is working to create a legal definition of sex under Title IX, the federal law that bans sex discrimination....Now, it would, quote, “define sex as either male or female, unchangeable, and determined by the genitals that a person is born with.” Now, that policy would wipe out Obama-era regulations outlawing discrimination against people who change their sexual identity.
Just to clarify, the Obama administration changed the legal definition of gender to appease liberal interest groups. Now, the Trump administration is thinking about changing the definition back to the scientific one used throughout all of human history and is being accused of trying to redefine gender.
Aren’t journalists supposed to accurately report facts instead of parroting political spin that creates an alternative reality?
