A federal judge has just ruled that the Trump administration can’t pull federal health grants simply because they’re tied to “gender ideology” or “diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
That’s the word from U.S. District Judge William Young—a Reagan appointee, no less—who called the move unlawful and ordered the funds to start flowing again immediately.
In February, the NIH yanked grants connected to LGBTQ research, gender identity, and DEI initiatives. Naturally, groups like the ACLU, the American Public Health Association, and Ibis Reproductive Health ran straight to court—and got exactly the ruling they wanted.
“The ideologically motivated directives to terminate grants alleged to constitute DEI, ‘gender ideology,’ or other forbidden topics were, in fact, arbitrary and capricious, and have now been ruled unlawful,” said Peter G. Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, one of the plaintiffs in the case.
Georges Benjamin, executive director of the APHA, didn’t hold back either. “We’re certainly very pleased with the judge’s decision, and actually the way he portrayed it as, you know, discrimination. I think that’s pure and simple, that the administration was trying to undermine the health and well-being of these populations,” he said to “The Hill.”
So what now? The Biden appointees might be cheering, but the Trump administration isn’t done. The federal government says it’s planning to appeal the ruling, or stop it in its tracks.
