On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it has withdrawn from California’s federal sex education grant program. This decision came after the state declined to remove information related to transgender individuals from its curriculum.
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) had requested back in March that California submit its curriculum materials for review under the “Medical Accuracy Review.” This initiative, aimed at preventing teen pregnancies and promoting sexual health, was established as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.
According to HHS, some of the curriculum content was deemed outside the boundaries set by the PREP approval law.
ACF noted that it found several instances of “gender ideological content.” This included lessons explaining that boys could identify as girls, suggesting that gender identity is separate from biological sex. In a letter directed to officials at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), ACF communicated these concerns.
Back in June, ACF had instructed the CDPH to eliminate “All Gender Ideology Content” from its curriculum within a 60-day timeframe.
However, a response from California’s Department of Health on August 19 indicated that the state would not make any revisions, asserting that the materials in question were both relevant and medically accurate. They claimed the ACF lacked the authority to enforce such changes.
The letter from CDPH argued that the PREP approval law does not mention gender ideology and stated that the claims made regarding the curriculum were not substantiated by scientific evidence. They maintained that California’s use of preparatory grants was justified.
CDPH has a 30-day window to appeal this decision. As of now, the department’s spokesperson has not responded to requests for further comment.
In a separate statement, a representative emphasized that the Trump administration would not permit taxpayer funds to be used to promote what they termed “delusional gender ideology.” They asserted that accountability should be enforced for any state using federal funds in this manner.
In response, Elana Ross, a spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom, criticized the actions and expressed that “If it’s a day that ends in ‘Y,’ President Trump is once again undermining children’s safety, health, and education in his ongoing culture war.”
Earlier on the same day, Trump had threatened to cut funding for California schools not in alignment with the administration’s policies regarding transgender students. Since returning to office, he has pushed for policies preventing trans girls from competing in girls’ sports and using bathrooms or locker rooms that align with their gender identity.
Last month, the Department of Justice initiated a lawsuit against California’s education department, asserting that there was a pattern of “illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes.” Both the education department and state governing bodies have resisted the administration’s demands to bar trans athletes from competing with girls, citing a 2013 state law that protects the rights of transgender students to participate according to their gender identity.
