Feds Threaten Millions to Silence Trans Health in Schools

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a fight against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), filing suit today over what she calls a blatant attempt to erase transgender and nonbinary health information from crucial sexual education programs. The feds are dangling tens of millions in grant money – from the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) and Title V Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) – as bait, demanding states censor their curricula or lose funding. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, alleges the administration’s actions are illegal and will actively harm vulnerable young people.

“This isn’t about policy, it’s about politics, and the well-being of our kids is being used as a bargaining chip,” Attorney General James told Grimy Times. “Comprehensive sex education isn’t some liberal fantasy; it *saves* lives. These restrictions will undoubtedly lead to higher rates of teen pregnancy and STIs, especially among those who already face systemic disadvantages. I will not stand by and let this administration jeopardize public health for ideological reasons.”

The SRAE grants, established in 1996, and the PREP program, born from the Affordable Care Act, are proven effective. Data shows students participating in PREP are more likely to delay sexual activity, consistently use contraception, and resist unwanted sexual pressure. A staggering 88 percent of youth report feeling respected during PREP programs. Cutting funding means shuttering these programs and laying off the dedicated professionals who deliver them – a move James argues will have disastrous consequences. Currently, those aged 15 to 24 account for half of all new STI infections, despite comprising only a quarter of the sexually active population.

The administration’s shift came in August 2025, imposing conditions on PREP and SRAE funds that explicitly prohibit any mention of transgender, intersex, or nonbinary individuals. This is a direct echo of the Trump administration’s discredited and medically inaccurate insistence on a rigid binary view of sex and gender. HHS is now demanding states rewrite years-old, demonstrably effective curricula, threatening financial penalties for non-compliance. This isn’t a request; it’s coercion.

“The implications are particularly devastating for LGBTQ youth,” James emphasized. “They are already disproportionately vulnerable to sexual assault, teen pregnancy, STIs, and mental health crises. Removing inclusive, affirming information from sex education programs isn’t just discriminatory – it’s dangerous. It leaves them isolated, uninformed, and at increased risk.”

The lawsuit seeks a court order forcing HHS to immediately halt its illegal funding conditions. James and the coalition of 15 other attorneys general are prepared to fight this battle, arguing that the administration’s actions are not only unlawful but a direct assault on the health and well-being of young people across the country. The stakes are high, and the future of effective sexual education hangs in the balance. The clock is ticking for HHS to respond.

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