Northern Mariana Islands Advocates Hit Back At Trump Diversity Directives

Thursday, 23 January 2025, 4:30 pm
Article: RNZ

Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent

A couple of LGBTQIA+ advocates in the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are up in arms over US President Donald Trump's executive order rolling back protections for transgender people and terminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government.

Pride Marianas founder Roberto Santos said Trump's initiatives against the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy are no surprise.

"While we know policies and practices promoting these values have proven to be positive, we know how futile it is to convince Trump or his supporters that diversity, equity and inclusion are human rights."

Transgender rights have become a contentious political topic in recent years. During November's election season, many Republicans campaigned on reversing transgender laws with a particular focus on transgender women participating in sports.

In his inauguration speech, Trump said: "This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.

"We will forge a society that is colourblind and merit based. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female."

Last month, the US Supreme Court tackled a major transgender rights case, and its conservative justices asked tough questions of lawyers challenging the legality of a Republican-backed ban in Tennessee on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.

Santos presented an argument to Trump's position on two genders and his declaration they cannot be changed.

"To speak specifically to his statement about there being two and only two genders, I believe he's referring to what we call biological or anatomical sex, and the construct of male and female as gender is a social construction," Santos said.

"So, the inaccurate terminology he's using is a testament to how ill-informed he is on the matter."

Marianas Business Network president and founder PK Phommachanh-Daigo, meanwhile, discussed his journey as a Southeast Asian refugee from Laos in response to the diversity question under the second Trump administration.

"My family and I were sponsored by an Irish family in a small, conservative town in northeastern Connecticut. Growing up as the youngest of six children, with my eldest sibling 15 years older, we were culturally accustomed to a straightforward view of gender - male, female, or ladyboy, a concept common in Southeast Asia. It's clear that the current debate over gender and DEI programs is more politically charged in the US, especially among Republican and liberal factions."

On Trump's announcement to recognize only two genders and eliminate DEI programs, Phommachanh-Daigo said it's not surprising "given the ongoing cultural war between the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement and the so-called 'woke' culture".

"The elimination of DEI programs could potentially lead to a regression into systematic exclusion and discrimination, perpetuating cycles of inequity and racism."

He said this in sharp contrast to the CNMI community, which is deeply rooted in cultural richness and familial bonds.

"We are generally accepting of people regardless of their gender or sexual orientation," he said.

"Societal issues often stem from external influences rather than within our tight-knit local community. While the immediate impact on our government workforce may be minimal due to strong familial ties and the predominance of local employees, the long-term implications of eliminating DEI initiatives could erode the inclusive environment we strive to maintain."

His message to the LGBTQIA+ community in the CNMI message is for them to just focus on personal growth, family, and positive contributions to society, regardless of the policies of the new Trump administration.

"Be a role model for others, and continue to foster a community that values acceptance, understanding, and mutual respect."

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