Trump Admin Cuts CA Grant Over Transgender Policies
The Trump administration on Thursday denied funding to a California program designed to prevent teen pregnancy and childhood STDs, citing the state’s refusal to eliminate what it called “radical gender ideology” from school curricula.
With an emphasis on children who are homeless, in foster care, or areas with a high incidence of adolescent pregnancies, the Personal Responsibility Education Program teaches youth about abstinence and contraception as ways to prevent pregnancy and STDs.
According to Andrew Gradison, an acting deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the award was valued at $12 million.
He told Fox & Friends that the show included “radical gender ideology” without giving any context. “If you continue to push radical philosophy on our children, we won’t be paying for it anymore,” he said.
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Federal Warning to Other States Over Curriculum Standards
By early next week, nearly 40 states will be notified that they must revise their educational programs or face similar consequences, according to Gradison, who said his department is close to completing its review of each state’s curriculum.
This is the most recent attack on transgender rights by the Trump administration and the Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom. It was not immediately possible to get in touch with Newsom’s office representatives.
Before the announcement, President Trump stated that federal funds would not be provided to any California school district that does not follow his administration’s transgender rules, but he offered no further information.
White House representatives did not immediately answer requests for clarification after Trump remarks on his social media platform.
Federal vs State Funding in Education Policy
Although they do receive some support from the federal government, local and state governments provide the great majority of funding for American schools.
In July, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit against California, claiming that the state’s policy permitting transgender athletes to participate in school sports for girls violated federal anti-discrimination statutes.
Any school that permits transgender people or girls to participate in female sports may lose government funds, according to a decree signed by the Republican president in February.