Story at a glance
- The Biden administration began making updates to the White House website on Inauguration Day.
- A page on accessibility that was taken down by the Trump administration was restored and gender-inclusive pronouns were added.
- Online, opponents were quick to condemn the changes.
As the Biden administration likely knows, news travels fast these days. And while the President may not be as fond of Twitter as his predecessor, Twitter users have plenty to say about the changes he’s making.
READ MORE LGBTQ+ STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA
LGBTQ+ ADVOCATES EAGERLY AWAIT BIDEN’S EXECUTIVE ORDER
RACHEL LEVINE COULD BE THE FIRST TRANSGENDER OFFICIAL CONFIRMED BY CONGRESS. WHO IS SHE?
HOUSE INTRODUCES GENDER-NEUTRAL LANGUAGE IN NEW RULES FOR CONGRESS
HOW THE CORONAVIRUS PRESENTS A UNIQUE THREAT TO THE LGBT+ COMMUNITY
More specifically, the changes to the White House website, which included restoring an Accessibility page and a Spanish-language version of the website put up by the Obama administration and then taken down by the Trump administration. It still cites Obama, but Biden's agenda is similar in its respect for people with disabilities, introducing a dark mode, alt text or visible captions for photographs and a large text option for the website. There's also LGBTQ+ inclusive pronoun options for contacting the White House, which was one of the most criticized changes on Twitter.
China is laughing at us. https://t.co/XNJ8BWj4h7
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) January 20, 2021
This is a good time for me to remind you to shield your children from this agenda and pure INSANITY.
— Official Source Troy (@TroyE23) January 20, 2021
God help us all. https://t.co/ezAvklTbJo
But I thought Joe Biden was the party of science! https://t.co/llC0jgOy0v
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) January 20, 2021
America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
Of course, it wasn’t all negative, with many Americans praising the changes as “small gestures,” while also signaling that they were ready for more.
My wife and daughters once again get to see their Mexican heritage embraced instead of shunned. I continue to be impressed by the level of thoughtful auditing thus administration has undergone to show all Americans they are seen and appreciated. Lots to do but this stuff matters.
— Michael Hudecek (@FCPortage) January 21, 2021
The WhiteHouse Website - is accessible again. And now I need tissues. pic.twitter.com/oThT769APM
— Jenny Lay-Flurrie (@jennylayfluffy) January 20, 2021
And if you got this far, the website also included an “Easter egg” in its source code that reads, "<!-- If you're reading this, we need your help building back better. https://usds.gov/apply →"
READ MORE LIKE THIS FROM CHANGING AMERICA
LOUISIANA PARENTS SUE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN DEATH OF TEENAGE AUTISTIC SON
CONGRESS, THIS AUTISTIC CITIZEN IMPLORES YOU TO PASS THE MENTAL HEALTH JUSTICE ACT
MY HOPES FOR THE AUTISM SPECTRUM COMMUNITY IN 2021
AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS MAY HAVE A HARD TIME WEARING A FACE MASK. HERE’S HOW EXPERTS HELP.
