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Here’s what to know about the HHS demand that Mass. erase ‘gender ideology’ from sex ed materials
The Trump administration flagged several “problematic” examples from Massachusetts’ materials, including references to gender identity and pronouns.
The Trump administration has demanded Massachusetts remove all references to “gender ideology” from its federally funded sex education materials, calling the LGBTQ+ inclusive language “problematic.”
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Massachusetts was among 46 states and territories recently given 60 days to revise materials used in the Personal Responsibility Education Program, or else face a loss of federal funding.
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“This action reflects the Trump Administration’s ongoing commitment to protecting children from attempts to indoctrinate them with delusional ideology,” the agency said in a press release last week.
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The demand marks the latest federal attack on transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, a crusade that also saw President Donald Trump levy an executive order stating that the U.S. government would only recognize two genders. Up next under the microscope is PREP, a federally funded program that aims to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections through education on contraception and abstinence.
Issued through HHS’s Administration for Children and Families, the Aug. 26 letter to Massachusetts public health officials identifies several examples of subjects and language that purportedly fall “outside the scope of [PREP’s] authorizing statute.” Those include references to gender identity and expression, pronouns, and support for transgender and nonbinary students.
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“Accountability is coming,” acting ACF Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison warned in a statement. “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.”
If Massachusetts does not comply by Oct. 27, it risks the loss of up to $2.36 million in funding, according to HHS. Gov. Maura Healey’s office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
The Trump administration’s funding cuts aren’t an empty threat; ACF recently terminated California’s PREP grants following a similar clash over so-called “gender ideology.” Even the phrase itself is politically charged — according to the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization GLAAD, “gender ideology” is a misnomer that inaccurately suggests gender is a political construct or opinion subject to debate.
“By inaccurately claiming gender identity is an ‘ideology,’ opponents of transgender people and their equality attempt to diminish the real need for legal protections to be treated equally and for social acceptance essential for trans and nonbinary people’s safety,” GLAAD explains on its website.
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The Trump administration’s latest demand could have a devastating effect on teen pregnancy prevention and sex education funded through PREP, according to Nora Gelperin, division director for the Sex Education and Training Team at the nonprofit organization Advocates for Youth.
“What’s going to happen next, we don’t know,” Gelperin said in an EducateUS video last week. “We do imagine that this money will get yanked back from any state that’s brave enough to stand up and push back.”
She added: “It will be interesting to see … what particular states and attorneys general stand up firm, which ones cave.”
In a statement, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell indicated the Bay State is ready for a fight.
“The Trump Administration’s insistence on spending valuable resources attacking transgender individuals, especially children, not only disparages them, but also has a significant and traumatic effect on our children, students and their families,” Campbell said. “We will continue to do everything in our power to protect our residents, especially our children and students, and ensure they continue to receive the education they deserve.”
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