The Trump administration is prohibiting officials at the Centers for Disease Control, the country's top public health agency, from using a list of seven words or phrases—including "fetus" and "transgender"—in any official documents being prepared for the 2018 budget, according to The Washington Post.
The forbidden word list includes "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "fetus," "evidence-based" and "science-based."
Several key national departments—including Health and Human Services ( HHS ), and Housing and Urban Development, among others—have changed some federal policies and how they collect government information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. For example, HHS dropped questions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in two surveys of senior citizens.
The Post article is at www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-gets-list-of-forbidden-words-fetus-transgender-diversity/2017/12/15/f503837a-e1cf-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html .
Diverse Elders Coalition Condemns the Trump Administration's Ban on Words Including "Diversity" and "Vulnerable"
The Diverse Elders Coalition is deeply troubled by widespread media reports that the Trump Administration is banning words like "diversity" and "transgender" and "vulnerable," among other important words that describe interventions, from the federal budget and ordering federal agencies not to use such words in budget documents. As the name of our Coalition manifests, we believe that respect and support for diversity among our elders is fundamental to a decent society. This is critically important because diverse elders are highly vulnerable as they age, a point that has been consistently recognized by the federal government, including through the Older Americans Act. And our Coalition expressly includes transgender elders because they are part of the rich diversity of our nation's elders and are highly vulnerable as they age. A ban on these and other words from the federal government is misguided, dangerous and an affront to everything this country stands for. The Diverse Elders Coalition will continue to proudly use these "banned words" and calls on the Trump Administration to reverse this dangerous and destructive budget directive immediately.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Blasts Latest Trump Administration Move to Censor Truth and Science
WASHINGTON — Shin Inouye, director of communications and media relations of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement regarding the news that the Center for Disease Control has banned the use of certain words including transgender, evidence-based, and diversity:
"President Trump and his administration have launched the latest salvo in their all-out war on truth and science. This latest tactic could be taken from a George Orwell novel, or taken by an oppressive authoritarian regime. Banning the use of words like transgender, science-based, and diversity will only harm the public health as the CDC carries out its important mission.
"We applaud the journalists who have brought this latest abuse to light. Trump may decry these stories as fake, but these reports show the continuing disdain of this administration to facts. The public relies on our government to provide accurate information, and these steps undermine that important trust."
"Earlier this month, The Leadership Conference Education Fund issued a paper, Misinformation Nation: The Threat to America's Federal Data and Civil Rights, which highlights the importance of data and the present threats to civil rights-related data collection."
Human Rights campaign response
"The Trump-Pence administration's effort to eliminate entire communities from its vocabulary is a dangerous attack on LGBTQ people, women, and fact-based policy making. The move is reminiscent of a time not long ago when the government tried to ignore the reality of the HIV and AIDS crisis to the detriment of millions," said David Stacy, Director of Government Affairs for the Human Rights Campaign. "This kind of erasure has potentially catastrophic consequences beyond the words used by the CDC — it could impact the very programs most vital to the health of women, transgender people, and others. But we will not be erased. The Human Rights Campaign will fight this and other politically-motivated policies, and this decision will ultimately backfire on the Trump-Pence administration."
National LGBTQ Task Force Statement: Our lives and our needs must not be censored
Responding to Trump Administration attempts to censor CDC budget documents including the word "transgender," Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force stated:
"President Trump is clearly hostile to the LGBTQ community, women, and science.
"In a throwback to the FCC's banning of seven "dirty words" and Jesse Helms's "no promo homo" amendments, Trump banned the CDC from using seven words his supporters see as "dirty" — including "transgender," "fetus," and "evidence based."
"Our lives and our needs must not be censored. It is disgraceful for a government to attempt to wipe away transgender people, women, and science. President Trump should be ashamed of himself. The CDC knows that the HIV transmission risk for transgender people is high, that transgender people are subject to discrimination, and that they face violence just for being who they are.
"The National LGBTQ Task Force will show this President he cannot ignore the transgender community, women, or scientific progress.
"The health, science, and justice communities are organizing together to demonstrate that federal funding for health and science matters. How the CDC runs is vital to our well-being. This is not just about freedom of speech: it's about our existence.
"The LGBTQ community is encouraged to #resist now. Tell@CDCgov, you can't ban my existence. I'm #transgender and proud. #CDCcensorship."
