❓WHAT HAPPENED: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. implemented significant budget cuts to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants focusing on LGBT initiatives and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: RFK Jr., HHS, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and various grant recipients.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Cuts began in March 2025, with additional reductions continuing through August 2025.
🎯IMPACT: Nearly $122 million in funding for 195 projects was eliminated, affecting grants across universities and research institutions.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has eliminated nearly $122 million in federal funding tied to LGBT initiatives and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, marking a significant shift in agency priorities under the Trump administration. The cuts, which began in March 2025, targeted 195 projects that Kennedy and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) deemed overly focused on race, gender, and sexual orientation.
Among the programs cut was a $5.5 million grant to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s “Vanderbilt FIRST” initiative, which aimed to recruit tenure-track faculty from so-called racially and ethnically minoritized groups, i.e., everyone but white people. Drexel University also lost $4.6 million in funding meant to support DEI hiring efforts in health disparities research. Other grants affected included $2.4 million for the University of Virginia, focused on so-called gender-diverse individuals, and $1.1 million for the University of Michigan, focused on Asian American and Latino populations.
The White House has backed Kennedy’s efforts, brushing aside criticism from activist groups and some academic institutions. Sources inside the administration say the move is part of a broader effort to remove ideological bias from publicly funded research.
The Trump administration has made similar moves elsewhere in recent months. In May, for instance, the Department of Justice (DOJ) redirected more than $800 million in DEI and transgender-related grants toward law enforcement and public safety programs.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with $783 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant cuts tied to DEI-focused research. In a 5–4 decision, the Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to cancel the grants. Although the ruling included some limits on future federal DEI guidelines, it upheld the administration’s authority to redirect funds away from identity-based programs.
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