Recently, the Trump administration has introduced significant changes to the language used in official documents and federal websites. Certain words and expressions are gradually disappearing, sparking heated debates about language, politics, and shifts in public discourse.
What Words Are Disappearing?
Recent reports indicate that terms such as “diversity,” “equity,” “systemic,” and “sense of belonging” are no longer welcomed in federal documents and on government agency websites.
Surprisingly, even seemingly neutral terms like “institutional” and “women” have become undesirable. Additionally, words like “race,” “ethnicity,” “Native American,” and “Black” have been banned in several federal agencies.
At the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), scientists have been advised to avoid using the words “woman,” “disabled,” and “elderly” in official communications.
How Does This Affect Government Agencies?
These linguistic changes have already impacted key federal institutions:
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): In the past, the CDC was already prohibited from using terms such as “fetus,” “transgender,” “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “evidence-based,” and “science-based” in official documents.
• National Science Foundation (NSF): This agency has banned words like “activism,” “advocacy,” “barriers,” “bias,” “ethnicity,” “gender,” “inclusion,” “inequality,” “multinational,” “prejudice,” “social justice,” “status,” “stereotypes,” “systemic,” “trauma,” “underrepresented,” and even “victim.”
How Has the Scientific Community Reacted?
Members of the academic and scientific communities have expressed concern. Scientists from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) described the situation as a “chaos of bans and permissions,” fearing that such restrictions could jeopardize critical research, particularly studies focusing on women and racial minorities.
Additionally, the recall of previously published CDC research containing banned terms has placed scientific publications in a state of uncertainty, hindering the dissemination of vital public health data.
Broader Implications
The Trump administration is using this language policy as a strategic tool to shape public perception and political discourse.
- Changing the language in official documents affects how government initiatives are perceived.
- The removal of certain terms may obscure existing issues such as racial inequality or gender discrimination.
- Historically, controlling language has been a method of shaping public consciousness.
How Have the Media and Public Responded?
Media outlets and public organizations have responded to these changes in different ways:
- The Guardian criticized the selective bans, noting that the word “woman” is prohibited, while “man” and “white” remain acceptable.
- The Atlantic observed that the U.S. is experiencing a shift from left-wing language control to similar restrictions imposed by conservatives, adding that most Americans do not support such ideological constraints.
The removal of these words from official documents highlights the role language plays in politics. This move raises questions about freedom of speech, the public’s right to access information, and the future of government communications.
