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At least eleven jurisdictions and two territories have agreed to a recent directive from the Trump administration to remove mentions of transgender issues and the existence of transgender and non-binary individuals from a federal sexual health program, officials confirmed.

The administration set a Monday deadline for stripping these mentions, warning the withdrawal of substantial government funding. Almost every of the agreeing jurisdictions have Republican-controlled state legislatures and predominantly GOP governors.

Legal Challenges and Funding Conflicts

An additional sixteen jurisdictions and the nation's capital have initiated legal action against the government's requirement, arguing it infringes on Congressional authority, which established the $75 million sex education program, known as the PREP initiative.

All states participating in the legal challenge are governed by Democrat governors.

In a late Monday court order, a federal judge blocked the HHS agency, which manages the program, from cutting financial support to the suing jurisdictions if they refuse to comply.

“HHS fails to show that the new grant conditions are reasonable, nor does it offer any valid reason, other than an excuse, for its actions,” stated Ann Aiken, a federal jurist in the state. “The department offers no proof that it made informed determinations or considered the legal goals.”

Program Goals and Federal Review

Prep aims to educate adolescents on healthy relationships and how to avoid unplanned parenthood and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections.

In the spring, the Trump administration required all jurisdictions receiving program money to provide a copy of their educational materials to HHS and its subsidiary, the ACF office, for a “medical accuracy review”.

Four months later, the administration dispatched notices to 46 states and territories, informing them that, during the review, it had discovered “content in the curricula that deviate from the scope of Prep’s authorizing statute.”

In particular, the government claimed it had identified evidence of “gender ideology,” a phrase often used by rightwing factions to refer to the idea that identity is a changeable social construct and that transgender individuals exist.

Specific Examples of Required Alterations

The government directed Illinois to drop a lesson that said: “Young people may express themselves in ways that differ from their biological sex.”

It instructed North Carolina to delete a line from a middle school lesson that read: “People of all sexual orientations and gender identities need to know how to avoid unplanned pregnancy and infections.”

Additionally, health instructors in many jurisdictions could no longer be told to “demonstrate acceptance and respect for all students, regardless of personal characteristics, including race, cultural background, faith, social class, orientation or identity,” according to the letters dispatched to states.

Official Statements and State Responses

“Accountability is coming,” declared Andrew Gradison, acting assistant secretary of the ACF office, in a statement. “Government money will not be used to negatively influence of the next generation or promote dangerous ideological agendas.”

Several jurisdictions and territories stated they would eliminate the references or had already done so. These include Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming, as well as the two territories.

Two other states, Alabama and South Dakota, reported their Prep curricula never included the language mentioned in the administration’s letters.

Effects on Adolescents and Mental Health

Collectively, these states are inhabited by more than 120,000 trans people between the ages of 13 and 17, based on estimates from a university department.

“If our goal is to help adolescents and give them a safe space, I’m not sure why we are stomping on the most vulnerable youth in the population,” commented an advocate, who heads Rise that offers health instruction in one state.

“If authorities state that there’s something wrong with you and the educators aren’t allowed to provide information or they have to out you to your parents – when you know that that’s not safe – that’s detrimental to psychological well-being.”

Almost 50% of transgender adolescents seriously considered suicide in the previous twelve months, according to a 2024 survey from a suicide-prevention group. Educational backing for these youths is linked to reduced numbers of attempted suicide, the organization discovered.

Previous Actions and Ongoing Disputes

Previously, the Trump administration instructed a state to remove mentions to transgender topics from its educational program.

When the Democratic-led state refused, the government withdrew its Prep grant, cutting about $12 million in federal funding and stopping sex education programs in schools, youth centers and care facilities.

The California health department is challenging the termination. So far, it has been unsuccessful in replace the withdrawn money.

The Trump administration has additionally informed instructors who obtain funding from additional national programs, the $50 million SRAE program and the $101m Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP), that they cannot teach about “gender-related concepts.”

An recent court order prevented the government from altering one program, while the Monday court order prohibits it from modifying the other program in the suing jurisdictions that challenged Prep.

The Administration for Children and Families did not provide a prompt reply to a request for comment.