WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States (US) President Donald Trump said in his inauguration speech Monday that his government’s official policy would only recognise two genders, ending the current practice of providing a third gender option in some settings.

In his inauguration speech at the US Capitol, Trump said: “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”

On the campaign trail, Trump railed against diversity, equity and inclusion policies in the federal government and corporate world, saying they discriminated against white people — men in particular.

He also demonised any recognition of gender diversity, attacking transgender people — notably transgender women in sports — and gender-affirming care for children.

An incoming White House official told reporters ahead of the presidential inauguration Trump will order the US government to end federal diversity programs.

“I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life,” Trump said in his inauguration speech, calling the new moves a “revolution of common sense”.

The policies will almost certainly face legal challenges.

In practical terms going forward, official documents would be forced to “reflect sex accurately,” the official said, without stating whether that meant gender assigned at birth.

“No longer will the federal government be promoting gender ideology,” the official said.

The government would also only recognise two genders — male and female — ending official policies that recognised a third gender, denoted by an “X” on US passports for example.