(LifeSiteNews) — The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children & Families (ACF) has cut off federal funding for a California “sex education” program after determining it is not in compliance with federal rules against taxpayer-subsidized programs promoting gender ideology.
Fox News reports that ACF announced on Thursday morning it is ending support for California’s Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), which is ostensibly aimed at reducing teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, over its refusal to remove curriculum materials promoting “radical gender ideology.”
“California’s refusal to comply with federal law and remove egregious gender ideology from federally funded sex-ed materials is unacceptable,” said Andrew Gradison, acting assistant secretary of ACF. “The Trump Administration will not allow taxpayer dollars to be used to indoctrinate children. Accountability is coming for every state that uses federal funds to teach children delusional gender ideology.”
ACF requested that California submit its PREP curriculum materials for review back in March, and found materials stating that “gender-identity” is “essentially a social status,” instructions for teachers against “misgendering,” and more. In June, it gave the state 60 days to comply, which it did not. California stands to lose $12.3 million in future funding due to the move. California has 30 days to file an appeal with the Departmental Appeals Board (DAB).
“CDPH will not make any such modifications at this time for several reasons,” the California Department of Public Health responded. “The listed reasons were: 1) PREP materials had already been reviewed and approved by ACF; 2) the materials are medically accurate; 3) the gender ideology content is relevant to purposes identified in the authorizing statute, specifically the adult preparation subjects listed at 42 U.S.C. § 713(b)(2)(C); and 4) ACF does not have authority to take an enforcement action.”
It is a dictate of progressivism that gender is no more than a matter of self-perception that individuals are free to change at will. But according to biology, sex is not a subjective sense of self but an objective scientific reality, established by an individual’s chromosomes from their earliest moments of existence and reflected by hundreds of genetically-based characteristics.
Yet, for years LGBT activists have worked to promote “gender fluidity,” the idea that sexual identity is separate from biology and discernible only by personal perception, across public education, libraries, health care, and cultural traditions such as school homecomings and athletic competitions.
Critics warn that their efforts have yielded a wide array of harms, both to the physical and mental health of gender-confused individuals themselves as well as to the rights, health, and safety of those who disagree, such as girls and women forced to share intimate facilities with males, female athletes forced to compete against males with natural physical advantages, and individuals forced to affirm false sexual identities in violation of their consciences, scientific fact, and/or their religious beliefs.
President Donald Trump has issued executive orders to deny federal funds to medical and educational entities that promote gender ideology, which so far has gotten numerous major hospital systems to cease “transition” procedures on minors.
