Trump Administration Cancels LGBTQ+ Health Grants
In a significant move, the Trump administration has canceled at least 68 grants focused on LGBTQ+ health research, affecting 46 institutions and totaling nearly $40 million in awarded funds. The grants, primarily from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supported studies on HIV prevention, cancer, youth suicide, and bone health.
Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson Andrew Nixon stated that the agency aims to restore "gold-standard, evidence-based science." However, critics argue that the cancellations undermine scientific progress and public health.
One notable project at Vanderbilt University, which tracked the health of over 1,200 LGBTQ+ individuals aged 50 and older, had already produced two dozen published papers. These findings were used to train doctors to provide better care to LGBTQ+ individuals, potentially saving lives and reducing healthcare costs.
Researchers, including Simon Rosser from the University of Minnesota, expressed concern that the cancellations would halt critical studies on LGBTQ+ cancer, marking a loss of a generation of scientific research.
In response to these actions, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit on April 2, 2025, challenging the cancellations. The lawsuit alleges that the NIH acted outside its authority by terminating grants based on ideological grounds without proper justification. The plaintiffs argue that defunding research related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), gender identity, or projects with tenuous links to China undermines public health and scientific progress.
The outcome of this legal battle could have significant implications for the future of LGBTQ+ health research and the broader landscape of federally funded scientific inquiry.
