NASA Eliminates Employee Pronouns in Compliance with Trump's Executive Directive, Alleges Report
NASA has taken a new step in responding to executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, with employees now prohibited from displaying their pronouns in their email signatures or Microsoft Outlook and Teams. This change follows a series of adjustments at the space agency, aimed at complying with directives aimed at "ending Federal funding of gender ideology" and restricting content related to gender identity within government systems.
In an agency-wide email, NASA informed staff that features allowing users to add pronouns in their display names on Microsoft Outlook and Teams have been disabled. Users who have previously included pronouns in their display names will have them automatically removed this week. NASA also adopted a uniform signature block for emails, mandating that all users modify their signature blocks to follow its strict format, devoid of additional embellishments.
This decision aligns with NASA's dismantling of its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs, following President Trump's executive order to eliminate DEIA initiatives within federal agencies. These efforts were seen as fostering division and inefficiency within government operations.
NASA also removed references to gender ideology from public-facing websites, including terms like "Indigenous people" and "women in leadership." The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) even ended its Inclusion Plan Pilot Study and requirements for Inclusion Plans, as well as updating content for programs to remove references to NASA's DEIA programs.
These changes are part of a broader federal push to phase out DEIA offices, end related contracts, and remove associated materials from public domains, as part of the administration's efforts to prioritize merit-based approaches and eliminate divisive practices.
In the midst of these changes, NASA has expressed its interest in exploring the future of space exploration, with an upcoming mission using advanced technology in the field of science. This commitment to scientific advancement serves as a testament to the agency's dedication to progress, despite the ongoing adjustments in its internal policies.
Moving forward, NASA's focus on space research and technology development is expected to shape the future of space exploration, providing opportunities for collaboration and innovation in the scientific community.
