Two researchers from California have raised alarms after being told by a U.S. government health publication to omit information on sexual orientation from a scientific paper that was approved for publication.
They were also instructed to exclude terms such as “gender,” “cisgender,” and “equitable” from their study, which focuses on smoking behaviors among rural young adults.
Tamar Antin and Rachelle Annechino disclosed these instructions in a blog post, illustrating the modifications with screenshots. They were informed that the alterations were necessary to comply with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.
Choosing to reject these instructions, the researchers opted to retract their manuscript from Public Health Reports, a prominent journal affiliated with the U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Public Health Service.
On returning to office, Trump had signed an executive order that mandated the eradication of “gender ideology” from government documents. He has also enacted additional orders focusing on diminishing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Antin, discussing their future plans, stated that they intend to submit their research to other platforms. In their blog, both Antin and Annechino have appealed to fellow researchers to avoid publishing in federal government journals to sidestep political manipulation.
Antin, who leads the Center for Critical Public Health, expressed that such requests are unprecedented. She emphasized that neither she nor her peers have been previously asked to alter or suppress content in response to directives from the federal level, and she labeled the situation as highly unusual.
The blog post displayed altered sections of the paper, with categories such as “straight or heterosexual,” “gay or lesbian,” “bisexual” and “unknown” being flagged for removal. A note accompanying these changes pointed out that “gender-related language cannot be included per the Executive Order.”
Antin underscored the importance of understanding smoking habits among rural young populations of varying gender identities and sexual orientations, as it enhances the effectiveness of public health messaging.
She remarked that this form of censorship poses a risk to the integrity of scientific research, arguing that it seemingly violates the principles set forth by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which advocates against the unjust suppression or alteration of scientific work for political aims.
Representing HHS, spokesman Andrew Nixon stated that the agency is committed to reinstating scientific integrity, ensuring that all publications in the Public Health Reports adhere to Trump’s executive orders.
