OPINION | US plan to roll back equity policies hinders global process

The recent executive order by US President Donald Trump to defund and dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives is more than just a bureaucratic shift. It is a declaration of whose lives matter and whose do not.

Removing DEI initiatives and policies, notably, those that centre on marginalised groups, racial minorities, and LGBTQI+ individuals does not erase their struggles and existence in our society. I The fact that some leaders feel they can simply “tick off” or “unstick' human rights and social justice efforts from policy reveals just how expendable these communities are perceived to be.

We need to be clear: erasure at a systemic level does not translate to actual erasure. Marginalised people such as women, queer individuals, black, brown and disabled people will continue to exist, resist, and demand their space, regardless of this order.

The removal of systemic and/or institutional recognition and support does not make discrimination disappear. Instead, it amplifies oppression by stripping away the Right of marginalised people to exist, and legal protections they have been fought for, for decades.

It is almost tempting to think that the dismantling of DEI initiatives in the US is an isolated issue with no direct affect on our realities in the Global South, but the ripple effects of regressive policies in powerful nations often influences global attitudes, social narratives, and funding.

The move by the US devalues global perceptions and the importance of having DEI initiatives in and for other governments; and there is a possibility of these institutions disregarding and/or following suit in their own countries.

For black and other racially marginalised communities in the Global South, particularly in Africa, this is alarming. It reinforces the idea that the oppression of certain groups is not a crisis, but a norm.

In the same way, it weakens the push for LGBTQI+ rights, gender equality and racial justice, which are already met with precarious conditions in many countries due to their colonial legacies, systematic inequalities, and conservative cultural norms.

The dismantling of DEI policies and initiatives does not only, unfortunately, affect non-normative or those identifying outside of heteronormativity or the gender binary. It also disproportionately affects women, translating to fewer systemic protections against workplace discrimination, less access to leadership roles, and diminished support for reproductive justice.

This is even more damaging for nonbinary and trans identities as it reinforces rigid gender norms that limit their autonomy, agency, and expression. It further signals a broader societal regression that undermines the existence and rights of these groups, as well as the progress made towards gender equality and sexual freedom for all.

Men of all races, identities, and backgrounds are also affected by the dismantling of DEI initiatives. Black men are already subjected to systemic racism, and as a result of this they are vulnerable to losing economic opportunities and educational equity benefits.

Similarly, the systems that deny trans rights enforce toxic masculinity, thus punishing and discriminating against anyone who deviates from heteropatriarchal and narrow gender norms. White men who identify outside of the gender binary and heteronormativity are also going to be affected.

While it may appear that the dismantling of DEI policy exclusively affects trans individuals and those that identify outside of the gender binary, their removal sets a dangerous precedent for everyone, including cisgender men and women.

The erasure of non-normative identities and systems that affirm and acknowledge them are not just about gender identity, but more about controlling how gender is expressed, who gets to belong, and who is deemed worthy of rights and dignity.

Prejudice can and does affect anyone, anywhere — it is a dangerous myth that we can selectively uphold human rights — that we can, for instance, advocate for black liberation while turning a blind eye to the struggles of queer, trans and other marginalised groups. And similarly, that we can advocate for diversity but only when it is convenient, comfortable, and easy to digest.

It is high time we realise that discrimination is never just directed at a single group, but rather, it is about the broader systems of power we exist in that decide who gets to exist fully and who does not.

If these initiatives and support for gender diversity and other minority groups are removed from policy and other critical institutions, then tomorrow, it could be you or any other entity that seemingly no longer fits within the acceptable limits of the norm and/ binary.

The erasure of DEI frameworks and rights of gender diverse persons in the US is not a problem isolated from ours as a collective, it is ours, too. It serves as a warning sign that marginalisation and discrimination is becoming more acceptable, normalised, and institutionalised.

• Magayana is a senior officer: Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office at the University of the Free State