FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 21st, 2025

Contact: Alison Macklin

amacklin@siecus.org

Washington, D.C. – SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change applauds the ruling from U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken blocking the Trump Administration’s attempt to strip “gender ideology” from federally funded sex education programs. The court’s decision affirms what we have long known—federal law does not permit the government to use public funds to erase LGBTQ+ young people from classrooms.

The administration’s directive sought to force states to censor or rewrite sexual health curricula in order to receive Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) funds—programs that Congress designed to provide medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive education to young people who need it most.

“This ruling is a powerful reminder that facts, law, and human dignity still matter,” said Callie Simon, Executive Director of SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change. “It’s heartening to see the courts uphold what Congress intended—education that supports all young people, not one that erases those who are transgender, nonbinary, or questioning. We stand with every educator and advocate who refuses to let federal funding be weaponized against inclusion.”

SIECUS remains steadfast in our mission to ensure that every young person—regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or background—has access to honest, affirming, and evidence-based sex education.

Together, we will continue to fight back against censorship and political interference in the classroom.

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SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change has served as a leading national voice for sex education since 1964, asserting that sexuality is a fundamental part of being human, one worthy of dignity and respect. Through advocacy, policy, and coalition building, SIECUS advances sex education as a vehicle for social change—where all people receive sex education, are affirmed in their identities, and have the power to make decisions about their own health, pleasure, and wholeness.