After Donald Trump issued an executive order banning federal agencies from promoting so-called “gender ideology”, over 8,000 pages from more than 12 governmental websites were taken down, according to analysis by the New York Times.

Most of the articles removed were related to DEI initiatives, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights and sexual health, and some of them contained words such as “transgender” or “inclusive”. The CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) removed 3,000 pages, which featured information on drug safety, Alzheimer’s warning signs, HIV and other STDs, and vaccinations.

Following a public outcry and backlash from the scientific community, many of these pages have now been restored, but the CDC remains committed to complying with Trump’s executive orders. This means that whatever information it provides going forward will be insufficient, particularly for trans people, whose existence cannot even be alluded to. Fortunately, there are plenty of independent organisations in the US which are not required to go along with Trump’s project and which are able to provide information untainted by the values of his administration – here are some helpful resources.

LGBTQ+ RIGHTS AND TRANS HEALTHCARE

Because Trump’s executive order specifically targets “gender ideology”, it’s unlikely that information related to trans rights and trans healthcare will be fully restored. But there are several alternatives. The Trevor Project provides counselling and support for LGBTQ+ young people, and Trans Lifeline runs a similar service for trans people specifically. Advocates for Trans Equality has a Trans Healthcare Project, which provides information on how to challenge insurance denials and other healthcare exclusions; Point of Pride provides support and financial need to trans people in need of healthcare, and the DIY HRT Directory teaches people how to safely perform DIY Hormone Replacement Therapy.

HIV AND SEXUAL HEALTH

The CDC remains the best place to find out where to get tested, but it has yet to restore several of its pages related to HIV, including an ‘HIV Risk Reduction Tool’ which allowed users to gauge the risk of certain behaviours. But there are other sources of information.

While some of its content is specifically related to New York, ACT UP NY has lots of useful information on its site, including zines and booklets which cover topics like using HRT and PreP together, MPOX mitigation, and DoxyPEP (a medication which prevents bacterial STIs.) There are also HIV organisations which address the specific needs of the Black community (The Black AIDS Institute), women (The Well Project), and low-income people and people who are experiencing homelessness (Housing Works).

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

The Trump administration is deeply hostile to reproductive freedoms, so it’s not surprising that a government website related to abortion and contraception was among the resources purged last week (at the time of writing, it appears to still be down). According to the New York Times, a search for the word ‘abortion’ on the CDC’s data now yields the suggestion “also try: adoption”. Clearly, the US government can no longer be trusted to provide reliable and unbiased information when it comes to reproductive health.

There are plenty of more trustworthy alternatives, including Planned Parenthood, a non-profit which expands access to birth control, emergency contraception, STD tests, and abortions. Reproductive Access’s website has a comprehensive database of resources, covering all aspects of reproductive health, while Red State Access provides information on how people can still access abortions in restricted states.

DRUGS AND HARM REDUCTION

A number of pages related to drug use were removed last week, including information on how to prevent overdoses. While still high, the rate of drug deaths in the US declined in 2023 for the first time in five years – something that has been attributed to the results of harm-reduction policies, like wider availability of naloxone (an over-the-counter drug that reverses overdoses). Even if these pages have now been restored, it is beyond reckless for the US government to remove genuinely life-saving information like this.

For an alternative source of information, check out the National Harm Reduction Coalition, a non-profit which aims to reduce the risk associated with drug use through evidence-based strategies, including naloxone, fentanyl strip-testing, access to clean syringes and supervised consumption services. Its website also has an interactive map which shows you where you can get free naloxone near you, wherever you are in the US. Non-profit NASEN has a similar map for finding sterile syringes.