The Trump administration canceled a California sex education grant worth about $12.3 million on the grounds that it included “radical gender ideology” after state officials refused to review the materials.
The funding helps pay for sex education programs in juvenile justice facilities, homeless shelters and foster care, and some schools, reaching approximately 13,000 youth a year through 20 agencies.
Thursday's announcement was expected because it was tied to a 60-day compliance period.
“California's refusal to comply with federal law and remove blatant gender ideology from federally funded sex education materials is unacceptable,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison of the Administration for Children and Families. “The Trump Administration will not allow taxpayer dollars to be used to indoctrinate children. There will be accountability for every state that uses federal funds to teach children delusional gender ideology.”
State officials have taken the position that her materials are accurate and do not violate the terms of the federal grant., including in a statement from the state Department of Health on Thursday.
“California students deserve access to educational information and materials that will help them make healthy decisions about sexual activity, including decisions to delay sexual activity, while respecting and honoring their dignity, including gender identity,” the statement said.
The Trump administration is not blaming California for failing to implement grant-funded abstinence and contraception guidelines. Rather, the state included additional content that the Trump administration defines as objectionable and “beyond” the purpose of the grant.
A letter dated June 20 A high-ranking official in California cited sample language from a high school lesson as one of several examples:
“During class we talked about the messages people receive about how they should act as boys and girls, but as many of you know, there are also people who do not identify as boys or girls, but rather as transgender or gender queer. This means that even if they were called a boy or a girl at birth and may have body parts that are typically associated with being boy or girl, they feel different inside.”
The California Department of Public Health responded in a letter dated Aug. 19 that it “will not be making any such changes at this time” because its materials were already approved by the same agency that is now requiring the changes. In addition, officials described the materials as “medically accurate” and appropriate for educational purposes. California also disputed whether the Trump administration had the authority to rescind the grant in this way.
The amount of money at stake is small compared to other issues being discussed between California and the Trump administration, but the dispute involves familiar legal parameters that have led to more than three dozen lawsuits.
The grant cancellation also represents another front of conflict between the Trump administration and California related to LGBTQ+ issues. This culture war-fueled debate largely dates back to the Trump era. Decree of January 20 it recognized two sexes, male and female, and this maxim spread throughout all the departments under its jurisdiction.
In youth sports, that divide has widened under Trump. threatening to refuse huge amounts of federal funding unless California bans transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports.
California responded by introducing dual award categories for women's sports competitions so that the success of a trans athlete, for example in a track and field event, would not prevent another athlete from winning an award. The compromise does not address the issue of trans athletes in women's team sports such as volleyball.
The Trump administration does not perceive these steps taken by California as consistent with its directives.
In the classroom, Trump's politics oppose a curriculum that allows for more than just binary expressions of gender—male or female. Historically, federal power over local curriculums has been limited, but Trump has been quick to use federal funding as leverage.
In this case, the pressure is coming from the US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.
The Department of Children and Families administers a grant program that distributes $75 million annually nationally “to provide education to adolescents… on both abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS,” according to the Department of Children and Families. federal law.
California has received more than $18.2 million in funding over the three-year period through the next fiscal year, according to Health and Human Services. Under the federal decision, the state is expected to lose $12.3 million it has not yet received over several years.
The federal grant supports the California Personal Responsibility Education Program, or CA PREP, which provides “comprehensive sexual health education for adolescents through effective, evidence-based or evidence-based program models,” according to a state statement.
“Data shows that participants who completed CA PREP had a better understanding of sexual and reproductive health issues and improved health outcomes,” the health department said.
The Trump administration has not denied that the federal government previously approved the California materials, but said the Biden administration “erred by allowing PREP grants to be used to teach gender ideology to students.”
California law requires School districts provide students with comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention information at least once in high school and once in middle school.
The Trump administration has asserted full authority over federal grants, including those currently underway. Many grant cancellations are being challenged in court. Some were allowed to take effect; others were blocked. In some cases, Congress has narrowly approved the elimination of grants, including for foreign aid and support for the public broadcasting network.
