Apr 9, 2025 - Politics & Policy

White House will ignore reporters with gender pronouns in email signature

Sareen Habeshian

Washington, DC - April 1 : Reporters ask questions as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at a news briefing at the White House on Tuesday, April 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) — Reporters ask questions as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at a news briefing at the White House this month. Photo: Jabin Botsford/the Washington Post via Getty Images

The White House will ignore reporters whose emails contain gender pronouns in the signature, a spokesperson confirmed to Axios on Wednesday.

The big picture: The move is a part of the Trump administration's pattern of trying to control the press — blocking AP reporters from the White House, taking over press pool coverage, removing outlets from their Pentagon workspaces and planning to take over the briefing room seating chart.

Neutral pronouns have been used for centuries but have gotten increasing public attention as LGBTQ+ rights — and attacks on them — have been a focus of debates in U.S. politics, schools and businesses, per Axios' Russell Contreras.

Driving the news: "As a matter of policy, we do not respond to reporters with pronouns in their bios," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the New York Times, which was first to report the story.

Asked Wednesday if that was now official policy, spokesperson Harrison Fields told Axios in an email: "FACTS!"

Zoom out: Pronouns are used to affirm gender identities and create safe spaces by referring to people in the way that feels most accurate to them, per the National Education Association.

Flashback: The administration in January barred federal workers from having gender pronouns in their emails as part of an order targeting transgender protections.

Go deeper: Scoop: White House to take charge of briefing-room seating chart

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White House will ignore reporters with gender pronouns in email signature

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