The Trump administration has revoked federal funding for a menstruation study after conservatives falsely claimed the grant would examine “menstrual cycles in transgender men.”

In fact, the research grant was about developing sustainable menstrual products from natural fibers like regenerative cotton, wool, and industrial hemp.

Related

Hospitals continue non-consensual intersex surgeries while shutting down gender-affirming care
The procedures are meant to “correct” sex variations and have been condemned by human rights organizations.

The federal grant, directed to the Southern University Agricultural and Mechanical College, was for $600,000 and scheduled to run through 2027.

Titled “Farm to Feminine Hygiene: Enhancing the Textiles Lab for Research, Extension and Scientific Instrumentation for Teaching at Southern University,” the grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture in 2024.

Insights for the LGBTQ+ community

Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

The project intended to educate young girls and women about menstruation and menstrual health, and also sought to help Louisiana farmers by providing a fiber processing plant.

The grant’s description read that the project sought to “address the growing concerns and issues surrounding menstruation, including the potential health risks posed to users of synthetic feminine hygiene products.”

The Trump administration took issue with one line in the project’s description: transgender men and people with masculine gender identities, intersex and non-binary persons may also menstruate.

That was enough to get conservatives going.

According to CBS News, far-right think tank American Principles Project “flagged” the study for the Department of Agriculture.

“This grant clearly denies biological reality — men don’t menstruate,” said spokesperson Cailey Myers.

A USDA spokesperson also mischaracterized the study, saying it “prioritized women identifying as men who might menstruate. This mission certainly does not align with the priorities and policies of the Trump Administration, which maintains that there are two sexes: male and female.”

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins celebrated the decision as a win for the administration, writing on X, “Keep sending us tips. THANK YOU, @approject! The insanity is ending and the restoration of America is underway.”

DOGE reposted the message, both on X and on the doge.gov website.