Trump Administration Purges Federal Health Websites: A Digital Book Burning?
The Trump administration, citing executive orders targeting “gender ideology” and “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” purged numerous websites across federal health agencies. This included the removal of information on LGBTQ+ health, HIV, and adolescent health, specifically data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a crucial resource for researchers. Many pages unrelated to these topics were also removed, such as an interactive tool providing surveillance data on various infectious diseases. The removal of this information has sparked concern among researchers and health professionals regarding the potential impact on public health initiatives and the ability to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks.
John Q. Hosedrinker