Central Montana Times

U.S. Senator Steve Daines, along with several colleagues, has expressed opposition to recent guidance from the Biden-Harris Administration regarding gender identity policies in federal workplaces. The letter was addressed to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

The senators' letter criticizes the "Gender Identity Non-Discrimination and Inclusion Policy for Employees and Applicants," which they argue compels speech by requiring federal employees to use individuals' preferred pronouns or face disciplinary action. The policy also allows individuals to change their names and pronouns without legal documentation.

"We write out of deep concern over Guidance you issued entitled 'Gender Identity Non-Discrimination and Inclusion Policy for Employees and Applicants.'… According to the Guidance, failure to use the preferred names and pronouns an individual asks to be addressed with 'contribute[s] to an unlawful hostile work environment,'" the Senators wrote.

The letter further criticizes policies related to access to restrooms, locker rooms, lactation rooms, and other personal care spaces. The senators argue that including lactation rooms in this policy is inappropriate because "males cannot breastfeed their children."

"Perhaps more egregious than the Guidance’s position on compelled speech related to pronoun usage is the policy on bathroom, locker room, and lactation room usage... Including lactation rooms in this same Guidance is blatantly offensive—males cannot breastfeed their children," the Senators continued.

Senator Daines was joined by Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in sending this letter.