Trump Administration Demands Exclusion of Transgender Topics from Sex Education Curricula, Several States Comply

At least 11 states and two territories have complied with a recent directive from the Trump administration to eliminate mentions of gender identity and the presence of trans and non-binary people from a national sex education initiative, officials stated.

The government set a Monday deadline for stripping these references, threatening the withdrawal of substantial government funding. Nearly all of the agreeing jurisdictions have GOP-led lawmaking bodies and mostly Republican state leaders.

Legal Challenges and Funding Disputes

Sixteen other states and Washington DC have initiated legal action against the administration's demand, arguing it infringes on legislative power, which established the $75m sexual health initiative, known as the PREP initiative.

All jurisdictions participating in the legal challenge are governed by Democratic state executives.

In a recent judicial ruling, a federal judge prevented the HHS agency, which manages the program, from withholding funding to the Democratic states if they do not adhere.

“HHS fails to show that the updated requirements are justified, nor does it offer any reasonable explanation, other than pretext, for its actions,” stated the judge, a U.S. district judge in the state. “HHS provides no evidence that it made factual findings or considered the statutory objectives.”

Program Goals and Federal Review

The program seeks to educate teenagers on positive interactions and how to prevent pregnancy and the transmission of STIs.

In April, the Trump administration demanded all states and territories obtaining Prep funds to submit a copy of their educational materials to the department and its subsidiary, the ACF office, for a “medical accuracy review”.

Four months later, the government sent letters to 46 states and territories, stating that, during the review, it had discovered “content in the educational programs that deviate from the purview of the program's legal framework.”

In particular, the administration said it had identified evidence of “gender ideology,” a phrase often used by rightwing groups to refer to the idea that identity is a changeable social construct and that transgender individuals are real.

Specific Examples of Requested Changes

The government directed Illinois to drop a lesson that stated: “Adolescents may express themselves in ways that differ from their biological sex.”

It instructed North Carolina to eliminate a line from a middle school lesson that stated: “People of all sexual orientations and gender identities need to know how to avoid unplanned pregnancy and infections.”

Moreover, health instructors in numerous states could no longer be told to “demonstrate acceptance and respect for all participants, irrespective of individual traits, including race, heritage, religion, economic status, orientation or gender identity,” based on the notices sent to jurisdictions.

Government Comments and Jurisdictional Reactions

“Oversight is imminent,” said a federal official, interim leader of the ACF office, in a statement. “Government money will not be used to negatively influence of the next generation or promote dangerous ideological agendas.”

Several jurisdictions and territories confirmed they would eliminate the references or had completed the process. These include eleven specific states, as well as the two territories.

Two other states, Alabama and South Dakota, reported their Prep curricula never included the language mentioned in the government's notices.

Impact on Youth and Psychological Well-being

Collectively, these states are inhabited by over 120,000 trans people aged 13 to 17, according to projections from a research institute.

“If our goal is to help adolescents and give them a safe space, I’m not sure why we are stomping on the at-risk teenagers in the community,” commented an advocate, who leads Rise that provides sex education in one state.

“When the government says that there’s something wrong with you and the educators aren’t allowed to tell you things or they have to disclose your identity to family – when you know that that’s not secure – that’s detrimental to psychological well-being.”

Almost 50% of trans and non-binary youth seriously considered suicide in the previous twelve months, according to a recent study from a mental health organization. Educational backing for these adolescents is associated with reduced numbers of attempted suicide, the organization found.

Previous Actions and Ongoing Disputes

Previously, the federal government instructed California to remove references to transgender topics from its Prep curriculum.

When the jurisdiction declined, the government withdrew its funding, eliminating about $12 million in government money and halting sex education programs in educational institutions, youth centers and group homes for foster children.

The state agency is challenging the termination. So far, it has been unable to make up for the withdrawn money.

The Trump administration has also told instructors who receive money from additional national programs, the $50m Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) and the $101m Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP), that they may not teach about “gender ideology.”

An early October judicial ruling blocked the government from altering TPPP, while the Monday court order prohibits it from changing the other program in the suing jurisdictions that sued over Prep.

The Administration for Children and Families did not immediately respond to a request for comment.