A wave of cancellations of subsidies from the US government affected researchers focused on the health of gay, lesbian and transgender people last week, as part of the measures that the President’s administration, Donald Trump, has been taking against what he describes as science promoted by ideologies.
The United States government put at least 68 subsidies to 46 institutions, which totaled almost 40 million dollars when they were granted, according to a governmental internet site. Part of the money from the subsidies has already been spent, but at least 1.36 million dollars in future support were withdrawn as a result of the cuts, although there were only estimates available for less than a third of the subsidies.
Most were somehow related to sexual minorities, including research focused on HIV prevention. Other canceled studies focused on cancer, youth suicide and bone health.
Andrew Nixon, spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), declared that HHS is “dedicated to restoring our agencies to its tradition of maintaining a gold standard, based on scientific evidence.” The subsidies were granted by the National Health Institutes, an agency that is part of the HHS.
A project canceled at the University of Vanderbilt had been following the General Health of more than 1,200 LGBTQ people 50 years or more. Most of the money from the subsidy that financed the project has already been used, but was scheduled for renewal in April, said Tara McKay, who leads the LGBTQ+ Policies Laboratory of the University.
He pointed out that the subsidy will not be renewed due to cancellation, which endangers any long -term result. Even so, the Vanderbilt project had already generated two dozen published articles, including works used to train doctors to provide better attention to LGBTQ people, which raises the probability that cancer detection and other preventive care exams are carried out.
“That saves us a lot of money in medical care and saves lives,” McKay said.
Knowing the populations of minorities better can increase knowledge that affects everyone, said Simon Rosser, who studies cancer in gay and bisexual men at the University of Minnesota.
“Now We have no place studying cancer (in the community) LGBT In the United States, ”said Rosser, whose subsidies were canceled on Friday.
“When you decide to cancel all subsidies aimed at sexual minorities, scientific discovery, for everyone,” Rosser. Young researchers will lose their jobs, and the field as a whole will suffer, he added.
“It is the loss of a whole generation of science,” Rosser said.
The cancellation letters reviewed by gave as reasons that the research was “not scientific” or “did nothing to improve the health of many Americans.”
That language was felt personal and painfulMckay commented.
“My project has been accused of not having a benefit to the American people. Queer and Trans people are also Americans”McKay stressed.
