HHS Ordered to Defund Schools Teaching Gender Ideology in Sex Education

The Trump administration has launched one of its most aggressive efforts yet to remove transgender topics from federally funded school programs. On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that 46 states and U.S. territories must remove all references to what it calls “gender ideology” from their sex education curricula or risk losing millions of dollars in federal grants.

The order came in the form of letters sent by HHS’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to state and territory education representatives. The letters gave each jurisdiction 60 days to revise their federally funded Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) materials and submit them for approval. Failure to comply could result in suspension, withholding, or complete termination of PREP funding.

What Schools Are Teaching

Officials said their review uncovered examples of programs going far beyond the scope of PREP, which Congress authorized to focus on teaching abstinence and contraception to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. According to HHS, California’s curriculum encouraged students to “contemplate mutilating their genitals,” to consider “altering their body … through hormone therapy,” and to learn about “adding or removing breast tissue” or “changing their name.” Teachers were even instructed to “remind students that some men are born with female anatomy.”

Wisconsin’s materials also drew federal scrutiny for defining human sexuality as including “biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation” and stating that “it is important to respect differences and appreciate diversity.” North Carolina was cited for encouraging teachers to compile a list of clinics that were “teen and LGBT friendly, culturally competent, supportive of all pregnancy options, and that consider the teen to be their primary client.” Colorado’s teacher manual told instructors to “demonstrate acceptance and respect for all participants, regardless of personal characteristics, including race, cultural background, religion, social class, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Federal officials said these kinds of lessons have nothing to do with abstinence or contraception and are therefore outside the scope of the law.

HHS Tightens Enforcement

Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison said in a statement that the administration is committed to making sure federal money is used only for programs that reflect congressional intent. “Accountability is coming. Federal funds will not be used to poison the minds of the next generation or advance dangerous ideological agendas. The Trump administration will ensure that PREP reflects the intent of Congress, not the priorities of the left,” Gradison declared.

California has already been stripped of $5.8 million in PREP funding after it refused to comply with the directive. HHS explained that the state’s refusal was expected and pointed to multiple lessons in California’s PREP program that it considered egregious. Gradison said, “California selected materials that are outside of the bounds of this program — that have nothing to do with teaching the importance of abstinence or contraception. And instead, they were teaching children how they may be in the wrong body or how they ought to be taking gender hormones.”

The order affects a total of $81 million in PREP funding across 46 states and six territories. New York stands to lose the most, more than $6 million, while Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois each risk losing over $4 million. Dozens of other states, including both Republican and Democratic-led ones such as Alabama, Massachusetts, Iowa, and Oregon, also received letters from the administration. Territories at risk include Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Palau, Northern Mariana Islands, and Washington, D.C.

State and Advocacy Group Responses

So far, most states have not issued detailed responses. Oregon stated that it is “actively assessing federal changes and actions for any impact that they have on Oregonians.” California, however, rejected the order outright, saying that its program had been previously approved, that all material is “medically accurate,” and that HHS did not have the authority to revoke funding.

Advocacy organizations quickly condemned the administration’s move. A spokesperson for the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD said, “HHS is leaning hard on bias instead of science. The simple truth is, every family should have access to local programs that help them be healthy and succeed.”

A Broader Policy Shift on Gender

The directive reflects a broader pattern of actions taken by President Trump since returning to office. On his first day, he signed an executive order stating that the federal government would only recognize two sexes: male and female. Since then, his administration has barred transgender people from serving in the military, restricted their participation in female sports, and ended federal support for school programs that include references to gender identity.

Gradison has argued that these moves are about protecting children. He said, “The Trump Administration will not allow taxpayer dollars to be used to indoctrinate children. Accountability is coming for every state that uses federal funds to teach children delusional gender ideology.

The administration has made it clear that it will continue to audit federally funded programs for content it sees as ideological rather than educational. States that refuse to comply with the new standards face the same punishment California received. Gradison promised that ACF would pursue “radical transparency and accountability” so parents know exactly what their children are being taught.

With deadlines now set, state education departments will have to decide whether to revise their materials or risk losing millions in funding. For supporters of the administration, the move is seen as restoring the original intent of sex education programs. For critics, it represents a political effort to erase transgender and LGBTQ identities from schools.

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