By Mark Maynard
Kentucky Today
Kentucky is one of 46 states and territories ordered to remove all references to gender ideology from federally funded sex education programs within the next 60 days or risk losing millions in federal dollars.
The directive comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through its Administration for Children and Families (ACF), which oversees the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP).
Last week, ACF terminated California’s PREP grant after the state refused to comply with the requirement. Officials warned that other states failing to act could face the same penalties, including suspension or termination of funding.
“Accountability is coming,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison. “Federal funds will not be used to poison the minds of the next generation or advance dangerous ideological agendas. The Trump Administration will ensure that PREP reflects the intent of Congress, not the priorities of the left.”
Kentucky currently receives $1.4 million in PREP funding and has until Oct. 27 to submit a revised curriculum.
Addia Wuchner, executive director of Kentucky Right to Life, urged state officials to comply.
“Kentucky children must be protected from harmful ideologies masquerading as education,” Wuchner said. “We call on the governor to ensure the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Families complies with this directive, remove gender ideology from classrooms, and restore age-appropriate, fact-based health education. Our students deserve truth, not indoctrination.”
David Walls, executive director of the Family Foundation, also called for immediate and decisive action from Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration to purge all the gender ideology from these educational programs.
“We call on the people of Kentucky to stand united and demand accountability from the Beshear Administration. Should the governor fail to do what is right, it is the duty of the General Assembly to intervene and correct this egregious misuse of educational resources when they reconvene in Frankfort.”
Walls added, “It is imperative that students learn the truth, not divisive propaganda, and it is wholly unacceptable for taxpayer dollars to be squandered on programs that erode the values held by Kentucky families.”
The 46 recipients of the letters include the following states and territories: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the territories of Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C.
The letters to all 46 states and territories can be found acf.gov/08.26.25-Combined-PREP-Letters.
Details on how much funding each state and territory could forfeit can be found at acf.gov/PREP-State-Funding-Data.
Kentucky Today has reached out to the governor’s office for comment.