Dozens of research projects focused on LGBTQ health have been canceled by the U.S. government, alarming scientists who say the move will harm public health and slow scientific progress.

At least 68 grants to 46 institutions were terminated last week, according to a federal website.

These grants, in total, were worth nearly $40 million when awarded, The Associated Press reported.

While some of the money was already spent, at least $1.36 million in future funding was scuttled. That number may be much higher since data was available for only about a third of the grants.

Many of the canceled studies focused on the health of sexual minorities, including research on HIV prevention, cancer, youth suicide and bone health.

The agency is “dedicated to restoring our agencies to their tradition of upholding gold-standard, evidence-based science,” said Andrew Nixon, Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesman.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which awarded the grants, is a division of HHS.

One canceled project out of Vanderbilt University had been tracking the health of more than 1,200 LGBTQ adults 50 and older.

Some of that work, which has already led to dozens of published papers—helped train doctors to better serve LGBTQ patients—improving cancer screening rates and preventive care.

“That saves us a lot of money in health care and saves lives,” Tara McKay, who leads Vanderbilt’s LGBTQ+ Policy Lab, said.

Simon Rosser, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, also lost funding. He studied cancer in gay and bisexual men.

“We now no longer have anywhere studying LGBT cancer in the United States,” Rosser told The Associated Press. “When you decide to cancel all the grants on sexual minorities, you really slow down scientific discovery, for everyone.”

“It’s a loss of a whole generation of science,” he added.

The cuts dovetail with executive orders signed in January by President Donald Trump, proclaiming that the federal government recognizes only two sexes—male and female.

Termination letters obtained by The Associated Press said the canceled research was “unscientific” or didn’t “enhance the health of many Americans.”

That language was hurtful, McKay said.

“My project’s been accused of having no benefit to the American people. And, you know, queer and trans folks are Americans also,” McKay concluded.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.