College defends study while Trump administration says it promotes gender ideology
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has canceled a $600,000 grant to Southern University Agricultural & Mechanical College funding research on feminine hygiene, including an educational component on “transgender men,” because it “does not align with the priorities” of President Donald Trump’s administration.
The decision was made public a day after The College Fix reported on the study, which was revealed in a new database compiled by the American Principles Project.
The school defended itself in a news release Sunday, stating the research focused on sustainable products for all biological women and downplayed any emphasis on transgender men, or women who identity as men.
However, a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson told The College Fix on Monday the study’s “education component … prioritized women identifying as men who might menstruate.”
“On a surface level, this award focused on studying the health risks of synthetic fibers and exploring natural fiber alternatives,” the spokesperson told The Fix.
“However, the education component, funded by the taxpayer, prioritized women identifying as men who might menstruate. This mission certainly does not align with the priorities and policies of the Trump Administration, which maintains that there are two sexes: male and female.”
“CANCELLED: $600,000 grant to study ‘menstrual cycles in transgender men,’” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins wrote in a post on X Friday.
“Keep sending us tips. THANK YOU, @approject! The insanity is ending and the restoration of America is underway,” she wrote.
🚨CANCELLED: $600,000 grant to study “menstrual cycles in transgender men”
Keep sending us tips. THANK YOU, @approject! The insanity is ending and the restoration of America is underway. 🇺🇸💪❤️ https://t.co/7S53WQ3CP3
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) March 8, 2025
The database, “Funding Insanity: Federal Spending on Gender Ideology under Biden-Harris,” states the school “will Study Menstrual Cycles in ‘Transgender Men And People With Masculine Gender Identities, Intersex, And Non-Binary Persons.’”
The grant study stated in part: “It is also important to recognize that transgender men and people with masculine gender identities, intersex and non-binary persons may also menstruate.”
In a news release, the university’s Research and Extension Center denied that the study would include a focus on “transgender men,” stating the term “was only used once” to indicate that the project “would benefit all biological women.”
The center stated it planned on using the funds to “research, process, and utilize three alternative natural fibers -regenerative cotton, regenerative wool, and industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) – in the development of sustainable, reusable, and disposable feminine hygiene products.”
The college has not responded to requests for comment from The College Fix in recent weeks.
The College Fix reached out to the American Principles Project via email for comment on the university’s claims, but received no response.
MORE: Federal agency halts scholarship program at HBCUs following Trump’s DEI crackdown
IMAGE: Southern University/Youtube
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