Trump’s War on Sex Ed: Because Ignorance Is the New Abstinence

The Trump administration has found yet another way to turn back the clock: by threatening to strip nearly $81 million in federal funding from 40 states unless they erase all mention of LGBTQ+ identities or “gender ideology” from their sex education curricula.

That’s right — we’ve gone from “don’t say gay” to “don’t say reality.”

The Trump administration has found yet another way to turn back the clock: by threatening to strip nearly $81 million in federal funding from 40 states unless they erase all mention of LGBTQ+ identities or “gender ideology” from their sex education curricula.

That’s right — we’ve gone from “don’t say gay” to “don’t say reality.” And it all ties neatly back into Project 2025’s playbook, which aims to turn culture wars into federal law.

The Federal Abstinence Fairy Tale

In Trump-world, education isn’t about truth, it’s about obedience. Science takes a backseat to slogans. Biology is whatever a Heritage Foundation intern says it is. And if your curriculum acknowledges that gender is more complex than two checkboxes, congratulations: you’ve just poisoned children’s minds.

This is exactly how the rise of Christian nationalism bleeds from pulpits into policy.

Gender Ideology = Facts They Don’t Like

The administration’s memo labels gender inclusion as “ideology,” as if doctors, psychologists, and millions of lived experiences are just woke propaganda.

But here’s the truth:

• Inclusive sex ed = lower suicide rates among LGBTQ+ youth.
• Accurate curricula = fewer teen pregnancies.
• Trump’s plan = willful ignorance with a side of cruelty.

It’s abstinence-only education for the brain — a strategy straight out of Trump’s authoritarian agenda.

Ignorance as Public Policy

The GOP has always loved abstinence-only education. Now, they’ve upgraded it: abstinence from reality.

• Don’t teach consent — kids might think they deserve autonomy.
• Don’t teach LGBTQ+ health — kids might think they deserve to exist.
• Don’t teach gender diversity — kids might realize freedom means something beyond bathroom policing.

Sound familiar? It’s the same playbook they used to gut civil liberties under the guise of “family values.”

From Sex Ed to State Control

By threatening to yank funding, the Trump administration is effectively holding schools hostage. Teach denial and you’ll get your grant. Teach facts and your kids can learn about reproduction from TikTok.

Imagine telling educators: “Choose between $81 million in funding or the truth.” It’s like bribing a doctor to tell patients cigarettes cure asthma.

This is less about classrooms and more about extending Project 2025’s culture war into every corner of American life.

The Real Poison in Kids’ Minds

Here’s the irony: Trump officials say LGBTQ+ representation “poisons young minds.” But what’s truly poisonous?

• Telling kids their identities don’t exist.
• Denying them healthcare and accurate information.
• Creating a generation raised on shame and silence.

That isn’t protection — it’s state-sponsored bullying.

Final Thought

Sex education should be about preparing kids for reality. Instead, Trump is preparing them for a dystopia where biology is censored, truth is negotiable, and ignorance is federally subsidized.

So let’s call this what it is: not education, but indoctrination. And if this is the “family values” curriculum, it looks a lot more like The Handmaid’s Tale than health class.

In other words: the sex-ed crackdown is just another front in Project 2025’s authoritarian blueprint — and if we don’t fight back, Gilead will be the only thing kids graduate into.