One of President Donald Trump’s first actions upon returning to office in January was a sweeping removal of “woke” language across federal government websites. According to an investigation by the New York Times, this directive has led to hundreds of terms being erased or avoided in official communications.

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The Times reported that the list of banned words includes phrases such as “sense of belonging,” “all-inclusive” and “at risk.” However, the purge has also extended to seemingly neutral terms like “women,” “institutional” and “systemic.”

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While critics argue this move is discriminatory, it shows a contradiction in Trump’s administration. The president and his allies have often positioned themselves as defenders of free speech. Yet, they are now overseeing one of the most extensive language restrictions in recent history.

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A push for ‘free speech,’ but with limits

On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship.” The order declared, “Government censorship of speech is intolerable in a free society.” However, the language restrictions now in place appear to contradict that stance.

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According to The Times, additional words that federal agencies have been instructed to avoid include “historically,” “Native American,” “health equity,” and “political.” The list, compiled from various government memos, internal guidance documents, and official directives, shows a major shift in the administration’s approach to language.

In some cases, agencies have been ordered to remove these words from public-facing materials, including websites and educational content. At other agencies, managers have been advised to exercise caution when using certain terms, though not all have been explicitly banned.

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Although every administration makes adjustments to official language to align with its policies, this latest purge shows an effort to reshape the way government communicates on social issues, diversity, and inclusion.

Here is the full list of words The New York Times identified as being targeted for removal or restriction across federal agencies:

accessible

activism

activists

advocacy

advocate

advocates

affirming care

all-inclusive

allyship

anti-racism

antiracist

assigned at birth

assigned female at birth

assigned male at birth

at risk

barrier

barriers

belong

bias

biased

biased toward

biases

biases towards

biologically female

biologically male

BIPOC

Black

breastfeed + people

breastfeed + person

chestfeed + people

chestfeed + person

clean energy

climate crisis

climate science

commercial sex worker

community diversity

community equity

confirmation bias

cultural competence

cultural differences

cultural heritage

cultural sensitivity

culturally appropriate

culturally responsive

DEI

DEIA

DEIAB

DEIJ

disabilities

disability

discriminated

discrimination

discriminatory

disparity

diverse

diverse backgrounds

diverse communities

diverse community

diverse group

diverse groups

diversified

diversify

diversifying

diversity

enhance the diversity

enhancing diversity

environmental quality

equal opportunity

equality

equitable

equitableness

equity

ethnicity

excluded

exclusion

expression

female

females

feminism

fostering inclusivity

GBV

gender

gender based

gender based violence

gender diversity

gender identity

gender ideology

gender-affirming care

genders

Gulf of Mexico

hate speech

health disparity

health equity

hispanic minority

historically

identity

immigrants

implicit bias

implicit biases

inclusion

inclusive

inclusive leadership

inclusiveness

inclusivity

increase diversity

increase the diversity

indigenous community

inequalities

inequality

inequitable

inequities

inequity

injustice

institutional

intersectional

intersectionality

key groups

key people

key populations

Latinx

LGBT

LGBTQ

marginalize

marginalized

men who have sex with men

mental health

minorities

minority

most risk

MSM

multicultural

Mx

Native American

non-binary

nonbinary

oppression

oppressive

orientation

people + uterus

people-centered care

person-centered

person-centered care

polarization

political

pollution

pregnant people

pregnant person

pregnant persons

prejudice

privilege

privileges

promote diversity

promoting diversity

pronoun

pronouns

prostitute

race

race and ethnicity

racial

racial diversity

racial identity

racial inequality

racial justice

racially

racism

segregation

sense of belonging

sex

sexual preferences

sexuality

social justice

sociocultural

socioeconomic

status

stereotype

stereotypes

systemic

systemically

they/them

trans

transgender

transsexual

trauma

traumatic

tribal

unconscious bias

underappreciated

underprivileged

underrepresentation

underrepresented

underserved

undervalued

victim

victims

vulnerable populations

women

women and underrepresented