Big news! The Trump administration is shaking things up, threatening to pull millions in sex education funding from Washington and dozens of other states. The sticking point? Content related to gender identity. Is this a step towards reshaping public health education nationwide, or a controversial move that could undermine crucial programs for youth?
The Trump administration has initiated a significant policy shift, threatening to withhold federal funding for critical sexual education programs across Washington and 45 other states and territories. This move, poised to impact millions in public health initiatives, stems from a directive demanding the removal of all content related to gender ideology from curriculum materials. This contentious decision spotlights a broader ideological clash over the scope and content of health education, particularly concerning LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
At the heart of this funding dispute is the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), established under the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Designed to combat teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections through evidence-based education, PREP has been a cornerstone of youth health initiatives. The potential loss of over $81 million in federal funding nationwide, including more than $2 million for Washington state, represents a substantial blow to these preventative efforts, placing vital services in jeopardy.
States, territories, and Washington D.C. have been issued a strict 60-day ultimatum: comply with the federal mandate to remove gender ideology content or face the withholding, suspension, or termination of their PREP funding. This tight deadline intensifies the pressure on state health departments and education providers, forcing them to either compromise their comprehensive educational approaches or lose crucial financial support.
Washington’s PREP program exemplifies the comprehensive approach now under fire. It offers free training to educators, empowering them to teach young people about preventing teen pregnancy, reducing STIs and HIV, and fostering healthy relationships. Crucially, the program prioritizes vulnerable youth populations, including those experiencing homelessness, in foster care, living in rural areas, or belonging to minority groups, explicitly encompassing “sexual minorities.”
Federal officials, including Andrew Gradison, acting assistant secretary at the Administration for Children and Families, have explicitly stated their rationale, asserting that “federal funds will not be used to poison the minds of the next generation or advance dangerous ideological agendas.” This strong language underscores the administration’s firm stance against curriculum materials that incorporate diverse gender expressions and sexual orientations, viewing them as outside the program’s intended scope.
The administration’s resolve is further demonstrated by its prior actions, such as the termination of California’s approximately $12 million PREP grant for its refusal to remove similar content. In Washington’s case, specific curriculum materials were flagged for aiming to be “inclusive, respectful, and supportive of all gender expressions,” including definitions for biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation. Content explaining “Transgender is when a person’s gender identity is not the same as their assigned sex” and references to nonbinary or genderqueer identities were explicitly cited as problematic.
Despite federal objections, advocates for inclusive public health programs emphasize the profound benefits of comprehensive sexual education. Educational toolkits used in Washington, for instance, highlight that “Teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity creates better understanding and respect among all students and creates a climate where discrimination is unwelcome.” Studies have also demonstrated that such materials effectively reduce homophobic and transphobic beliefs among high school students, fostering more accepting and safer environments.
This latest development aligns with a broader pattern of policy changes implemented by the Trump administration aimed at rolling back the rights and recognition of transgender and nonbinary individuals. These initiatives have included directives against transgender women in sports, restrictions on federal funding for gender-affirming care, limitations on passports, and the removal of gender-affirming care for veterans. The consistent targeting of LGBTQ+ inclusive policies extends to the Department of Justice, which has removed questions about hate crimes against transgender people from federal surveys, banned trans military service, and actively scrubbed references to trans and nonbinary people from government websites.
