Biden EPA sought to hire more LGBTQ staff, ‘de-gender’ bathrooms: memo

Former President Joe Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made headlines recently for its efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the agency. A memo obtained by the watchdog Functional Government Initiative revealed that the Biden-era EPA aimed to “de-gender” bathrooms and locker rooms in agency offices as part of its DEI push.

The internal memo recommended increasing participation in voluntary self-disclosure of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and incorporating LGBTQIA+ prospective employees into hiring and recruiting activities. Additionally, the agency sought to “de-gender restroom/locker room access,” add gender pronouns in MS 360, and change style manual requirements for gendered honorifics in Agency Correspondence.

The EPA’s efforts also included increasing access to gender-neutral bathrooms, with a nationwide survey finding that at the time, there were 155 gender-neutral bathrooms and locker rooms for the entire agency. Only four out of the 10 regional offices did not have gender-neutral bathrooms, highlighting the need for further inclusivity measures.

Furthermore, the Biden administration aimed to ensure the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ employees in recruitment efforts, career development and training, data collection, analysis, and measurement, DEIA employee engagement, sustainability, accountability, and accessibility.

Under the leadership of then-EPA administrator Michael Regan, the agency created an employee-led DEIA implementation team in 2021, with the goal of embedding DEI agency-wide, creating cultural change, and establishing the agency as a DEI model for the entire federal government.

In contrast, President Donald Trump’s EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has been reworking the agency by terminating hundreds of millions in DEI and environmental grants issued by the previous administration. Zeldin has been working closely with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, to make spending cuts and increase efficiency within the EPA.

Zeldin recently announced the cancellation of over 400 DEI and Environmental Justice grants across 9 grant programs totaling $1.7 billion, bringing the EPA’s total savings to over $2 billion. This move represents a significant effort to streamline operations and reduce unnecessary spending within the agency.

Overall, the Biden-era EPA’s focus on promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the agency reflects a broader societal shift towards greater inclusivity and representation. As the agency continues to evolve under new leadership, it will be interesting to see how these DEI initiatives shape its future direction and impact on environmental policy.