TL;DR
- Trump administration orders 40 states and 5 territories to remove transgender references from sex education.
- Non-compliance risks millions in federal funding.
- California already lost $12 million after refusing.
- LGBTQ advocates warn this is part of a broader anti-trans crackdown.
- Critics call the policy a direct attack on youth health and safety.
Trump Administration’s Culture War Hits Sex Ed
The Trump administration just drew another battle line in its war on LGBTQ rights—this time, in classrooms. Forty states, Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories were slapped with letters demanding they erase transgender references from federally funded sex education programs—or kiss their funding goodbye.
The directive came from the Administration for Children and Families, which oversees the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), a nearly 15-year-old initiative aimed at reducing teen pregnancy and STIs. The message was blunt: cut out “all references to gender ideology” or lose federal dollars.
Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison delivered the administration’s threat in no uncertain terms. “Accountability is coming,” he declared. “Federal funds will not be used to poison the minds of the next generation or advance dangerous ideological agendas.” Translation: trans kids don’t count in Trump’s America.
The stakes are huge—New York, for example, could lose more than $6 million if it refuses to comply. Other states face losses between $300,000 and $4.6 million. That’s a whole lot of money ripped away from programs meant to keep kids safe and healthy.
States React—And Resist
The pushback has already begun. New York’s health department says it’s “reviewing” the order but vowed to continue promoting health equity. Oregon promised it would “assess” the changes but stressed its commitment to keeping access open for all residents.
California, however, already paid the price for standing its ground. Earlier this month, its $12 million in remaining PREP funding was terminated after the state refused to yank transgender references from its curriculum. Officials there insist the material is medically accurate and age-appropriate—and say ACF doesn’t even have the authority to enforce this kind of purge.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s spokesperson summed it up in a single stinging line: “If it’s a day ending in y, President Trump is attacking kids’ safety, health, and access to education as part of his culture war.”
Part of a Bigger Crackdown
This isn’t happening in a vacuum. Since returning to the White House, Trump has rolled out a laundry list of orders aimed at erasing trans people from public life. He barred them from the military, banned trans girls from school sports, cut federal funds from hospitals offering gender-affirming care to minors, and even had agencies scrub trans and intersex people from federal websites—including the Stonewall National Monument.
The consequences have been chilling. More than 20 hospitals have either rolled back or ended transition-related care for minors. For trans youth and their families, the message is clear: the government has turned its back on them.
Why It Matters
Sex education that includes trans people isn’t about “ideology.” It’s about reality. Kids exist who are trans, nonbinary, or questioning, and pretending otherwise doesn’t make them disappear—it just leaves them more vulnerable. Experts have long shown that inclusive curricula improve health outcomes and reduce stigma.
By stripping trans teens out of the conversation, the administration is effectively telling schools to ignore an entire group of students. That silence sends a message: you don’t matter. For LGBTQ youth already at higher risk of bullying, depression, and suicide, erasing them from health programs isn’t just cruel—it’s dangerous.
And let’s be real: this isn’t just about sex ed. It’s about a broader project to roll back LGBTQ visibility, rights, and dignity. Today it’s classrooms. Tomorrow? Who knows. But what’s clear is that LGBTQ kids are being used as pawns in a culture war that could cost them their futures.