Restore Trans Health Research Funding – Defend Science, Defend Lives

We demand the immediate restoration of federal science funding cut by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – funding that supported critical research into transgender health, health equity, and the lives of sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities. The cuts were sweeping and devastating. Between January and May 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) terminated over 2,000 research grants. Of 64 identified NIH grants related to gender-affirming care, 64.1% were terminated within a single three‑week span – nearly $22 million in unspent research dollars lost. DOGE discarded over 270 grants ($125 million) targeting gender-, sexuality-, and diversity-focused research. Even research on feminine hygiene products was falsely branded a “transgender” study and canceled. This is not efficiency – it is censorship. Grants were terminated with form letters saying projects “no longer effectuate agency priorities” – a vague political litmus test, not scientific merit. SGM investigators were more than 11 times likelier to have a grant terminated than cisgender White men; BIPOC investigators were nearly three times as likely. As one researcher put it: “These cuts are going to have catastrophic effects… not only impacting the LGBTQ community, but also scientific integrity”. Trans scientists are clear: this research saves lives. Gender-affirming care improves mental health and well‑being. Without this research, we lose critical knowledge on cancer, HIV, cardiovascular outcomes, and more – knowledge that benefits everyone. To those who say this is “waste”: These are peer‑reviewed, life‑saving studies. To those who say courts restored funding: That ruling applied only to one fiscal year – we need permanent, legislated protection. This is a grassroots demand. Medical researchers, LGBTQ+ advocates, and civil rights organizations are united. In 2026, voters are watching – and we will remember who stood with science. Science must serve everyone, not political agendas.