The Trump administration has set off a nationwide storm by threatening to cut millions in federal funding from states that refuse to strip references to gender identity and transgender issues from their sex education curricula. At the heart of the controversy is the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), a federally funded initiative created in 2010 under the Affordable Care Act to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections through evidence-based sex education. Now, with a 60-day ultimatum issued on August 26, 2025, states must decide whether to comply with the administration’s demands or risk losing critical funding for some of their most vulnerable youth.
According to The 74 and Chalkbeat, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified 40 states—including Minnesota, Washington, Illinois, and dozens more—along with several territories and the District of Columbia, that PREP funding would be withheld, suspended, or terminated if all so-called “gender ideology” content was not removed from educational materials. The move followed the administration’s decision last week to terminate California’s PREP grant, worth nearly $6 million a year, after the state refused to comply with a similar request. In total, more than $81 million in federal funds are now at stake nationwide.
The PREP program, while representing only a portion of sex education efforts nationally, plays a crucial role for youth who are often marginalized or at higher risk for negative health outcomes. In Minnesota, for example, PREP serves young people aged 15 to 19, including those in foster care or aging out of foster care, unhoused youth, American Indian youth, rural teens, and members of LGBTQ+ communities. According to a description on the Minnesota Department of Health’s website, the program’s goals include reducing teen pregnancy, curbing sexually transmitted infections, and "increasing healthy behaviors." Jill Farris, director of training and education at the University of Minnesota-based Center for Healthy Youth Development, emphasized the program’s reach: "If [PREP funding] were to go by the wayside, it wouldn’t just affect the health department. This is going to affect the different communities where this funding lives."
Washington State faces a similar predicament. As The Seattle Times reported, the state could lose over $2 million in remaining PREP funds, with the program serving youth ages 11 to 21—including those who are homeless, in foster care, or part of a minority group, such as "sexual minorities." The state’s curriculum includes definitions for biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation, and teaches about transgender and nonbinary identities. These materials, officials say, are not only culturally relevant and age-appropriate but are also science-based and have been shown in studies to reduce homophobic and transphobic beliefs among students. Marisol Mata Somarribas, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Health, stated, "Using culturally relevant, age-appropriate, science-based materials for youth ages 11-21, WA PREP promotes positive decision-making, healthy development, and stronger communities."
But the Trump administration is unmoved by these arguments. Andrew Gradison, acting assistant secretary at the Administration for Children and Families, declared in a statement on August 26, 2025, "Federal funds will not be used to poison the minds of the next generation or advance dangerous ideological agendas." The federal health agency contends that topics such as gender identity, transgender issues, and related medical transition options are "irrelevant to teaching abstinence and contraception" and "outside the scope" of PREP’s original mandate. In its letter to Washington, the agency specifically cited curriculum passages that define transgender identity and discuss nonbinary and genderqueer experiences, as well as toolkits that argue, "Teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity creates better understanding and respect among all students and creates a climate where discrimination is unwelcome."
For states and local organizations on the front lines, the threat of losing PREP funding is a gut punch. Minnesota, for instance, received $690,000 in federal PREP funds for fiscal year 2024, which is distributed to local programs across the state. These programs are tailored to the realities of their target populations, often relying on culturally specific curricula led by facilitators from those communities. Evergreen Youth and Family Services in Bemidji, for example, offers a program for Native youth led by Native facilitators, while other grantees focus on youth in corrections facilities, those with disabilities, or those grappling with substance use. Jill Farris stressed that the curricula are evidence-based, "not just in terms of the information they share, but in terms of promoting healthier behavior in young people." She warned, "Taking out mentions of gender would not only do young people a disservice by not giving them information, [but] we also mess with the formula of why a curriculum like this gets the results we want to see."
Advocates and educators argue that removing content related to gender identity would compromise the effectiveness of these programs and deprive youth of vital, affirming information. Kat Rohn, executive director of OutFront Minnesota, posed a pressing question: "What happens when students from diverse cultural and gender backgrounds don’t have access to culturally appropriate and responsive materials in schools? They get bad information, and they tend to get information about their bodies and their lives from sources that are less reliable and don’t allow for good conversation around important topics." Farris echoed this, stating, "Young people still need this information. Those questions about gender don’t go away just because there’s a disagreement or an ideological difference in how we see [gender]."
Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s crackdown on gender identity in education is part of a broader campaign to roll back the rights of transgender and nonbinary people. As The Seattle Times and Chalkbeat have documented, the administration has issued directives barring trans women from women’s sports, stopped federal funding for pediatric gender-affirming care, blocked new passports for trans and nonbinary individuals, and ended gender-affirming care for veterans. The Department of Justice has removed questions about hate crimes against transgender people from federal surveys, and references to trans and nonbinary people are being scrubbed from federal websites.
In California, the first state to lose its PREP funding under the new policy, officials stood their ground. They argued that their curriculum was medically accurate, previously approved by the federal agency, and compliant with both federal and state law—which, in California’s case, requires sex ed to include information about gender identity. California health officials told HHS they reserved the right to challenge the funding termination, but had yet to do so as of the latest reports. A spokesperson for California’s public health department did not respond to questions about how the state planned to address the funding gap.
With the clock ticking, states have until late October 2025 to decide whether to comply with the Trump administration’s demands or risk losing federal support for programs that many say are essential to the health, safety, and well-being of young people. For now, officials in Minnesota and Washington are reviewing their options, but the stakes—both financial and personal—could hardly be higher for the youth who rely on these programs for honest, affirming, and life-saving education.
The coming weeks will reveal whether states will stand firm on inclusive education or make concessions to preserve their funding. Either way, the battle over sex education in America’s schools is far from over.
