Recent U.S. directives have led to the removal of LGBTQ+ health resources from public health agency websites, alarming LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations and posing a threat to LGBTQ+ health on multiple fronts.
Written by Dr Adam Jowett. Published 13 February 2025.
Following a directive from the Trump administration to eliminate references that “inculcate or promote gender ideology,” several Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web pages now display error messages. A banner on the CDC’s website reads, “CDC's website is being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders”, while pages previously containing information on LGBTQ+ youth and LGBTQ+ health disparities now return “page not found” errors.
Furthermore, CDC’s chief science officer reportedly ordered the withdrawal of all manuscripts written or co-written by CDC scientists that contain a list of specific words including transgender, LGBT and nonbinary. This censorship not only erases vital health information but signals a broader suppression of LGBTQ+ health research under this administration.
Censorship of LGBTQ+ issues is nothing new. Historically, governments have suppressed information about LGBTQ+ identities in various ways, from anti-LGBTQ+ curriculum laws in U.S. states to Section 28 in the UK in the 1980s to early 2000s, which banned local authorities from “promoting homosexuality”. In Nazi Germany, printed literature on LGBTQ+ topics was confiscated and led to the public burning of over 12,000 books on LGBTQ+ topics at the Institute for Sex Research. Today, Russia’s gay propaganda law and Hungary’s ban on LGBTQ+ content continue in this vein. Similarly, in many Middle Eastern countries, LGBTQ+ topics are censored under morality laws.
The suppression of LGBTQ+ health information has consequences. Removing data on LGBTQ+ health disparities hinders public health efforts to address these issues, while broader anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric further harms mental well-being. Research has shown that such rhetoric correlates with increased psychological distress, contributing to anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation.
Laws and policies that target LGBTQ+ individuals have significant mental health consequences. Studies show that legal discrimination and public debates on LGBTQ+ rights can lead to heightened stress and stigma, increasing rates of mental health issues. The more hostile the political climate, the greater the psychological toll.
Minority Stress
The minority stress model explains how stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion create additional stressors for LGBTQ+ individuals in addition to the many general stressors experienced by the general population. This heightened stress, it is argued, leads to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality.
Political discourse that delegitimises LGBTQ+ identities compounds minority stress. Research highlights that exposure to anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric correlates with higher levels of fear, self-stigma, and social isolation. The removal of LGBTQ+ health resources exacerbates these disparities by silencing critical information and discouraging public health interventions.
The issue extends beyond the United States. Major tech companies are following suit. Meta, for example, has altered its community standards to permit accusations of mental illness based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Mark Zuckerberg said the changes were down to ‘recent elections’ and a cultural tipping point towards ‘free speech’ (somewhat ironic given the CDC’s censorship of LGBTQ+ health information as a result of Trump’s directives is arguably the antithesis of free speech). In a digital era where hostility is already rampant on social media, such policy changes could contribute to a more toxic online environment, intensifying minority stress for LGBTQ+ youth worldwide.
Community Resilience
While minority stress explains the harmful effects of discrimination, it also underscores processes of resilience to counteract stress through individual and collective coping strategies.
One way individuals can protect their mental health is by limiting exposure to harmful media. Research suggests that consuming excessive amounts of negative political discourse can worsen anxiety and distress. Setting boundaries around news consumption and curating supportive digital spaces can mitigate these effects. Many are also choosing to leave social media platforms such as X and making use of less hostile platforms instead.
Community support is one of the most powerful buffers against minority stress. LGBTQ+ organisations, advocacy groups, and social networks provide vital resources for those facing discrimination. Research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ individuals with strong support systems experience lower levels of mental health distress.
Social identity plays a key role in resilience. While identifying as LGBTQ+ can make individuals vulnerable to discrimination, it also fosters solidarity, social support, and empowerment. Participating in LGBTQ+ advocacy, for instance, has been linked to greater psychological resilience and a stronger sense of agency.
If history teaches us anything, it is that LGBTQ+ communities have consistently resisted and persevered in the face of censorship and oppression. From the Stonewall uprising in 1969 and the subsequent Gay Liberation Movement to the mobilisation against Section 28 in the UK, LGBTQ+ activism has long been a driving force for change. It’s time to rise to the challenge once more.
