The Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aimed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the agency by implementing policies to “de-gender” bathrooms and locker rooms in agency offices. A memo from the Biden-era EPA recommended increasing participation in disclosing sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as incorporating LGBTQIA+ prospective employees into hiring and recruiting activities. The agency also sought to provide more gender-neutral restroom and locker room facilities within EPA offices nationwide. At the time, there were 155 gender-neutral bathrooms and locker rooms for the entire agency, with only four out of ten regional offices lacking such facilities.
In addition to promoting gender-inclusive policies, the Biden EPA aimed to ensure the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ employees in various aspects of agency operations, including recruitment efforts, career development, training, data collection, analysis, accountability, and accessibility. The agency’s efforts were in line with President Biden’s order to prioritize DEI within his administration, including accurately reflecting gender identities in the workplace and expanding access to gender-neutral facilities across federal workplaces. Under the leadership of then-EPA administrator Michael Regan, the agency created an employee-led DEIA implementation team to drive cultural change and establish the agency as a DEI model for the entire federal government.
The report on the Biden EPA’s DEI efforts comes as President Donald Trump’s EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin implements changes within the agency, including the termination of DEI and environmental grants issued by the previous administration. Zeldin has worked closely with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, to make spending cuts and terminate over 400 DEI and Environmental Justice grants across nine grant programs, totaling $1.7 BILLION in savings for the EPA. This move represents the fourth round of cuts by the EPA and DOGE, bringing total savings to over $2 BILLION.
The termination of DEI and environmental grants by the Zeldin-led EPA signals a shift in priorities and policies within the environmental agency. The decision to cut funding for these programs reflects a different approach to promoting diversity and equity within the EPA under the Trump administration. While the Biden administration focused on advancing DEI initiatives, the current leadership seeks to rework the agency’s spending and prioritize other areas of environmental protection.
Overall, the Biden EPA’s efforts to promote DEI within the agency through gender-inclusive policies and initiatives reflect a commitment to creating a more diverse and equitable workplace environment. As the agency continues to navigate changes in leadership and priorities under the current administration, the focus on promoting diversity and inclusion, as well as ensuring equal access to resources and opportunities for all employees, remains a key aspect of the EPA’s operational strategy.
