A significant transformation is quietly unfolding in sex education classrooms across the United States. In states ranging from Georgia to Wyoming, educational materials that previously recognized transgender and non-binary youth are systematically being removed. This shift isn’t driven by local educators or parental consensus but by a mandate from the Trump administration, compelling states to prioritize federal funding over inclusive curricula.
Specifically, at least eleven states and two U.S. territories have capitulated to the administration’s directive to eliminate all mentions of gender identity from the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP). This $75 million federal program is designed to teach adolescents about healthy relationships, contraception, and STI prevention. States that resisted this demand were faced with the severe consequence of losing millions in vital federal grants.
A Federal Push with Ideological Undercurrents
In April 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its agency, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), initiated a sweeping review. They mandated that all states and territories receiving PREP funds submit their curricula for a “medical accuracy review.” By August, 46 states and territories received letters asserting that their materials included “content outside the scope” of the program’s legal framework, specifically targeting what the administration labeled “gender ideology.”
This directive even extended to removing broadly inclusive language, such as instructions for educators to show “respect for all participants, regardless of personal characteristics, including race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.” The administration’s official stance for these removals was that “federal funds will not be used to advance dangerous ideological agendas.”
Lines of Compliance and Defiance
States and territories that have either fully complied or are in the process of complying with this administrative order include Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wyoming, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The Human Cost Behind Policy Battles
Beyond the policy debates, there’s a significant human impact. Data from the Williams Institute at UCLA indicates that over 120,000 transgender individuals aged 13 to 17 reside in the states adhering to this order. For these young people, the erasure of gender identity from their school curricula is more than just a policy change; it profoundly affects their sense of self-worth and belonging within their educational and societal environments.
A 2024 survey by The Trevor Project revealed a concerning statistic: nearly half of transgender and non-binary youth in the U.S. had seriously contemplated suicide in the preceding year. This research consistently shows a strong link between supportive school environments and inclusive teaching practices and lower rates of mental health struggles and self-harm among these students. Critics contend that the administration’s new directive actively undermines these crucial safeguards.
California’s Costly Defiance
California stands out as the first state to face direct financial repercussions for its refusal to comply. The administration revoked nearly $12 million in PREP grants, funds essential for sex education programs in public schools, juvenile detention centers, and foster care facilities. While the state has appealed this decision, its health department has yet to secure alternative funding.
The Trump administration has also imposed similar restrictions on two other significant federal initiatives: the $50 million Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) program and the $101 million Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP). Both programs have been subject to legal challenges, with federal judges issuing temporary injunctions to block these changes in states with Democratic leadership.
What This Battle Truly Reveals
This ongoing dispute transcends the specifics of sex education. It symbolizes a much larger battle over federal authority, the impact of ideological agendas, and the fundamental right of young people to access comprehensive and inclusive education. By leveraging federal funding to enforce ideological compliance, the Trump administration is actively redefining the ethical and factual parameters of what can be taught in classrooms.
The outcome is a fragmented educational system, where a topic openly discussed in Massachusetts can be entirely suppressed in Mississippi. The very acknowledgment of a student’s identity is transformed into a political statement. While the courts have provided some temporary relief, the overarching question remains: in a nation deeply divided by belief, who ultimately determines what constitutes truth in our schools?