Terminating Taxpayer-Funded Transgender Animal Experiments: A Victory for Ethics and Accountability
The Trump administration has taken a significant step toward accountability and ethical responsibility by cutting off taxpayer-funded grants for controversial experiments involving transgender animal studies. According to the watchdog group White Coat Waste Project (WCW), two National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants awarded to Harvard University under the Biden administration were terminated early in March 2023. These grants, totaling over $742,000, were part of a broader $8 million-plus in taxpayer funds allocated to similar experiments across multiple federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The termination of these grants marks a major victory for both animal welfare advocates and taxpayers, who have been vocal about the misuse of public funds for such experiments.
The first grant, worth $299,940, focused on the effects of testosterone therapy on breast cancer risk in transmasculine individuals. Researchers used female mice, administering testosterone and removing their ovaries to mimic gender-affirming transitions. The study aimed to explore how high levels of testosterone might impact breast cancer development, as human studies on this topic are still decades away. While the grant was initially set to run until August 2025, the Trump administration successfully ended its funding earlier this month. Similarly, a second grant, valued at $442,444, investigated the molecular mechanisms of hormone-mediated sex differences in wound healing. This project, led by Dr. Devin O’Brien Coon, a specialist in transgender surgeries, involved sterilizing female animals, injecting them with testosterone, and inflicting wounds to study how hormone therapy affects healing processes.
Exposing the Disturbing Details of Transgender Animal Experiments
The experiments funded by these grants have raised significant ethical concerns. WCW has repeatedly exposed the disturbing nature of these studies, which involve surgically altering animals, administering hormone therapies, and subjecting them to painful procedures. For instance, in the grant titled “Molecular Mechanisms of Hormone-Mediated Sex Differences in Wound Healing,” researchers sterilized female animals by removing their ovaries, injected them with testosterone, and then inflicted wounds on them. These experiments were intended to mimic gender-affirming surgeries in transgender men, raising serious questions about the ethical treatment of animals and the justification for such studies.
WCW President and Founder Anthony Bellotti has been a vocal critic of these experiments, calling them “wasteful” and “cruel.” He praised the Trump administration’s decision to cut funding, stating, “We’re proud that our blockbuster investigation has prompted President Trump and DOGE to slash millions in wasteful spending earmarked for creating transgender lab animals through sterilization, hormone therapies, and invasive surgeries and then subjecting them to open wounds, electroshocks, and other painful and deadly experiments.” Bellotti emphasized that these experiments are not only unethical but also a misuse of taxpayer dollars.
A Broader Pattern of Wasteful Spending on Transgender Animal Studies
The termination of these grants is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to address what critics describe as a pattern of wasteful spending on transgender animal experiments. According to WCW, the Biden administration had allocated over $8 million in taxpayer funds to such studies, with grants dispersed across NIH, NSF, and VA. These experiments often involve extreme procedures, such as mutilating animals, altering their hormone levels, and studying the effects of these changes on biological and physiological processes. For example, one study involved locking beagles’ heads in cages while sandflies devoured them alive to test an experimental drug for parasites. Another horrific experiment, highlighted in Sen. Rand Paul’s Festivus report, involved slicing the backs of male cats, exposing their spinal cords, and using electrodes to induce erections while the incision was still open.
WCW has consistently blown the whistle on these unethical experiments, revealing the shocking details of how taxpayer money is being used to fund such studies. Justin Goodman, WCW’s Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy, testified before the House Oversight Committee in February, detailing the scope of these experiments. He described how animals, including mice, rats, and monkeys, are being subjected to surgical mutilation and hormone therapies to mimic gender transitions. Researchers then study the effects of these transitions on everything from biological changes to psychological impacts, even examining how vaccines interact with these altered animals.
The Political and Ethical Debate Surrounding Taxpayer-Funded Research
The Trump administration’s decision to cut funding for these experiments has reignited a heated debate about the ethical use of taxpayer dollars for scientific research. President Trump himself brought attention to the issue during his address to a joint session of Congress on March 4, stating, “$8 million for making mice transgender. This is real.” The next day, DOGE announced that NIH had canceled several grants related to transgender animal experiments, further solidifying the administration’s commitment to ending what it describes as wasteful and unethical spending.
Critics of these experiments argue that they are not only morally reprehensible but also of questionable scientific value. While researchers claim that these studies could provide insights into human health, opponents point out that the suffering of animals and the misuse of taxpayer funds cannot be justified by such claims. Moreover, many question whether these experiments are necessary or if alternative methods could achieve the same results without causing harm to animals. The termination of these grants is seen as a significant step toward holding federal agencies accountable for how taxpayer money is spent.
A Call to Action: Ending Taxpayer-Funded Animal Abuse
The work of WCW and the Trump administration’s actions highlight the importance of transparency and accountability in federal spending. Taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being used, and they deserve to have confidence that it is not being wasted on unethical and unnecessary experiments. As WCW continues to uncover more details about taxpayer-funded animal experiments, the organization is calling on the government to take further action. Anthony Bellotti has emphasized that the solution is simple: “Stop the money. Stop the madness!”
By cutting off funding for these experiments, the Trump administration has sent a clear message that taxpayer dollars should not be used to support cruel and wasteful research. However, the fight is far from over. WCW has identified dozens of additional grants that still need to be cut, and the organization is urging lawmakers to take action. The termination of these grants is a victory not only for animal welfare advocates but also for taxpayers who demand accountability and ethical responsibility from their government. As the debate over taxpayer-funded research continues, one thing is clear: the American people will no longer tolerate the misuse of their money for experiments that involve animal abuse and questionable scientific value.
