Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration's Cancellation of NIH LGBTQ Health Research Grants

On Friday, a federal judge, Lydia Griggsby, appointed by former President Joe Biden, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration's cancellation of U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants related to LGBTQ health research. The case was brought by the American Association of Physicians for Human Rights against the NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services, and alleges that the NIH engaged in unlawful discrimination by targeting and cutting funding for certain, predominantly LGBTQ-related research projects.

During proceedings, attorney Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, representing Physicians for Human Rights, argued that the NIH identified grants for termination by searching for projects containing words associated with LGBTQ issues, such as "transgender," "nonbinary," and "sexuality." Gonzalez-Pagan stated, "The reason the government is targeting transgender research projects is because they believe transgender people do not exist." Judge Griggsby characterized the NIH directives to terminate these grants as "designed to focus and target LGBTQ members." She further remarked, "It's clear that why the funding is being terminated and why the grants will not move forward is because they relate to that community."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Wilson, representing the government, contended that the court lacked jurisdiction and should not become involved in what he described as a political process. However, Judge Griggsby decided in favor of granting a preliminary injunction, halting the NIH's actions pending further proceedings.

This is not the first district court action challenging attempts by the NIH to cancel identity-related research grants. The order was issued on Friday, with immediate effect, while the full case continues to be litigated.

On Friday, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration's efforts to terminate grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research related to LGBTQ health issues. U.S. District Judge Lydia Griggsby, appointed by former President Joe Biden, delivered the ruling from the bench, stating that the NIH's directives to end funding for these research grants were intentionally designed to target LGBTQ members of the community.

Judge Griggsby said, "It's clear that why the funding is being terminated and why the grants will not move forward is because they relate to that community."

The American Association of Physicians for Human Rights filed the lawsuit in May against both the NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services. The lawsuit alleges that the NIH engaged in unlawful discrimination by focusing funding cuts solely on certain, predominantly LGBTQ-related research projects. Attorney Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, representing Physicians for Human Rights, argued that NIH employees conducted searches of grant projects for terms associated with LGBTQ issues, including "transgender," "nonbinary," and "sexuality," and targeted those projects for termination. Gonzalez-Pagan stated, "The reason the government is targeting transgender research projects is because they believe transgender people do not exist."

The government, represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Wilson, argued that the court should not intervene in what it described as a political process and claimed the court lacked jurisdiction. However, Judge Griggsby, finding the termination to be discriminatory, granted a preliminary injunction, temporarily preventing the NIH from carrying out the grant cancellations. This action marks a significant judicial intervention in the Trump administration’s policies affecting LGBTQ-related health research funding.