Rubio demands font change for diplomats in anti-diversity move
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has instructed diplomats to stop using the Calibri font, describing it as a "wasteful" symbol of diversity programs set up under the Biden administration, according to media reports.
Rubio instead directed State Department staff on Tuesday to use the serif typeface Times New Roman in an effort to "restore decorum and professionalism to the department's written work," News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The department in 2023 switched to the sans serif font Calibri because its rounded letters with wide spacing are considered more accessible for people with disabilities.
Some studies have found sans serif typeface is easier to read.
"Typography shapes how official documents are perceived in terms of cohesion, professionalism and formality," Rubio reportedly wrote in a memo to staff.
The administration of President Donald Trump has taken aim at numerous diversity and inclusion policies.
Trump, a Republican, has made scrubbing DEI programs from the government a priority since taking office in January.
Rubio in the memo reportedly said the 2023 switch to Calibri "achieved nothing except the degradation of the department's official correspondence."
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