Trump Administration Scrubs Vaccine and LGBT References from Federal Websites

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The Trump administration has removed references to LGBT health and information on certain vaccines from federal websites, including those of major public health agencies. This move aligns with a memo issued on Wednesday, directing agencies to halt all "programs that use taxpayer money to promote gender ideology" and to take down related online content by Friday afternoon.  

 

President Trump has previously issued executive orders banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the government and formally recognizing only two sexes—male and female. When questioned by reporters on Friday about whether federal websites would be altered to eliminate diversity-related content, Trump stated, "If they want to scrub the websites, that's OK with me."  

 

 

DEI programs are designed to foster participation from people of diverse backgrounds in workplaces and institutions. Supporters argue that such initiatives help address historical and systemic discrimination, particularly among underrepresented groups such as racial minorities and the LGBTQ+ community. However, critics claim these programs can create divisions and result in reverse discrimination.  

 

By Saturday, key public health agencies had seemingly erased webpages containing discussions on gender, sexually transmitted diseases, and LGBT health. Several pages on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website now display error messages. A yellow banner on the CDC’s homepage informs visitors that the website is "being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders."  

 

Among the missing resources is the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a long-standing study examining topics like nutrition, mental health, physical activity, and sexual activity among high school students. The tool used to access this data is no longer available, and its landing pages have vanished. An archived version of the website, accessible via the WayBack Machine, reveals that the pages were still live as recently as mid-January.  

 

One portion of the study previously explored whether students "felt that they were ever treated badly or unfairly because they are or people think they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning." Another webpage titled "Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth" was also removed by Saturday morning, though archived versions remain accessible. A section dedicated to "Health Disparities Among LGBTQ Youth" similarly disappeared.  

 

The archived version of this page highlighted how "stigma, discrimination, and other factors put them at increased risk for negative health and life outcomes." These removals have raised concerns among health advocates and researchers who rely on government data to inform public health strategies and policy decisions.  

 

The CDC serves as a primary repository for official government health data and research. The recent deletions signal a broader effort by the Trump administration to reshape the presentation of health information, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ and youth-related issues. The full extent of these changes remains unclear, but advocacy groups and researchers continue to monitor the situation closely.

 

Based on a report by BBC 2025-02-03