Trump admin orders states to drop gender identity from PREP materials

The Trump administration on Tuesday ordered 40 states, Washington D.C. and five U.S. territories to remove references to gender identity and related topics from federally funded sex education materials within 60 days or face withholding, suspension or termination of Personal Responsibility Education Program funding. The directive, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services through its Administration for Children and Families, affects programs intended to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and covers more than $81 million in potential grants, officials said.

Acting HHS Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison framed the move as enforcing a presidential executive order that defines federal support for programs that affirm a binary view of biological sex. In a press release, Gradison said federal funds will not be used "to poison the minds of the next generation or advance dangerous ideological agendas," and that HHS will ensure PREP reflects the intent of Congress. HHS officials told states earlier this year to submit PREP curricula for review and identified content in 46 jurisdictions that it says goes beyond the program's statutory purpose.