Trump Administration Threatens to Defund States Over Inclusive Sex Education Curriculum

On August 26, 2025, the Trump administration, through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), sent formal letters to 40 states, the District of Columbia, and several territories, demanding the removal of any reference in federally funded sex education curricula to a person’s gender identity that departs from their sex assigned at birth. States failing to comply within 60 days risk losing access to a combined $81.3 million in funding for the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), a critical initiative aimed at preventing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among at-risk youth, including those experiencing homelessness, in foster care, or living in rural communities .

The administration’s order specifically targets the inclusion of transgender and nonbinary identities in educational materials, with explicit requests to remove definitions and references to these terms. For example, Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services was told to delete definitions related to transgender people from its curricula .

The states affected by the directive encompass much of the country, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming .

The PREP program has long been recognized for its focus on marginalized youth, providing them with medically accurate and culturally competent information about sexual health. Advocates warn that removing references to transgender and nonbinary youth would undermine the educational needs of these populations, increasing their risk for negative health outcomes and perpetuating stigma .

In its press release, the Trump administration stated that the move was part of its “ongoing commitment to protecting children from attempts to indoctrinate them with delusional ideology,” reflecting President Trump’s position that there are only two sexes—male and female . The administration’s position builds on a broader pattern of rolling back protections and funding for LGBTQ+ communities, including the termination of California’s $6 million annual grant for refusing to comply with similar federal directives .

This approach aligns with actions taken by the administration since January 2025 to undermine sexual and reproductive health and rights, both domestically and internationally. According to the Guttmacher Institute, these policies have included drastic cuts to international health programs, withdrawal from key multilateral agreements, and termination of funding for family planning initiatives, with devastating consequences for women, girls, and marginalized communities globally .

LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, educators, and public health experts have responded to the administration’s directive with alarm and condemnation. They argue that erasing transgender and nonbinary identities from sex education curricula not only denies students access to accurate information about themselves and their peers, but also sends a harmful message that invalidates their experiences .

“Sex education is most effective when it is inclusive and reflects the reality of all young people’s lives,” said a spokesperson for a national LGBTQ+ youth organization. “Removing references to transgender and nonbinary people from the curriculum will increase isolation and risk for those already vulnerable to discrimination, bullying, and poor health outcomes” .

Public health officials warn that stripping curricula of gender-inclusive language could impede efforts to prevent sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies among LGBTQ+ youth, who already face barriers to accessing affirming health care and information .

Several states have signaled resistance to the administration’s demands. California, for example, refused to amend its curriculum, resulting in the immediate cancellation of its federal grant . Legal experts suggest that federal threats to withhold funding over curriculum content may face court challenges, especially given Supreme Court precedents affirming the rights of transgender individuals in education and health care settings .

State officials and advocacy groups are preparing to defend inclusive curricula, arguing that the federal government’s position contravenes both scientific consensus and the lived realities of LGBTQ+ youth. “We must ensure that all students receive the information and support they need to thrive, regardless of their gender identity,” said an education official in one of the affected states .

The administration’s latest move continues a pattern of policies targeting LGBTQ+ people and undermining sexual health programs. Since early 2025, the Trump administration has overseen sweeping rollbacks of human rights protections, with far-reaching consequences for domestic and global sexual and reproductive health efforts .

These rollbacks have included:

- Defunding international family planning and sexual health programs, including all U.S. contributions to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), affecting millions globally .
- Creating new federal offices to cut programs and personnel, resulting in the termination of contracts and the dismantling of humanitarian aid efforts .
- Promoting policies that narrowly define sex and gender, excluding recognition of transgender and nonbinary identities in federal programs and documentation .

With the 60-day deadline looming, states must choose between compliance—removing all references to gender identity from sex education curricula—and risking the loss of federal funding for programs that serve some of their most vulnerable youth. As the political and legal battles escalate, LGBTQ+ communities and their allies continue to advocate for inclusive, evidence-based sex education, warning that the stakes for the health and well-being of young people have never been higher .