AUGUSTA, Maine — A spokesperson for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that the agency is reviewing a letter from the federal government that tells the state to remove “gender ideology” from sex education materials.
On Tuesday, the acting assistant secretary for the U.S. Administration for Children and Families sent notices to 40 states and six territories warning them they are in jeopardy of losing funds if they do not amend their Personal Responsibility Education Program.
The program is designed to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. Maine could lose $584,000 in federal funding for failing to comply with the federal directive, according to the Administration for Children and Families, which is a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In a letter to Maine DHHS, the federal government said an evaluation showed that materials currently being used are “outside the scope” of the law authorizing the program.
In particular, the letter cites references to those who are transgender and the terms, cisgender, gender expression, gender identity, gender fluidity, and genderqueer as being out of compliance with federal law.
In response, DHHS spokesperson Lindsay Hammes said the letter is under review.
“The Department is still reviewing and assessing the letter, its directives and potential impacts,” she wrote in an email.
The federal directive gives Maine two months to modify the curricula or risk losing federal funds.
“ACF instructs Maine to remove all content concerning gender ideology from its curricula, program materials and any other aspects of its program delivery within 60 days of receipt of this letter,” according to the letter from Andrew Gradison, acting assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families.
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