A digital book burning is happening right under our noses, and the alarm bells don’t seem to be ringing loud enough.
In the midst of a tidal wave of executive orders by Donald Trump, government-associated health agencies scrubbed their websites of any mention of diversity, equity, and inclusion, women’s health information, and information pertaining to the health of the LGBTQ+ community. These orders came barely two weeks after the inauguration. The heavy censorship necessary to purge digital resources paves the way for the violent use of misinformation against people who already experience health disparities in the United States. Lack of access to health data is an irrefutable danger, and the censorship of healthcare and medical data to fit a political agenda will undoubtedly lead to higher rates of preventable morbidities and mortality.
In his two weeks as president, Trump has enforced his radical ideology through a slew of executive orders. In Executive Order 14168, he affirms that the government only recognizes two sexes and two genders, and that the two are inseparable from each other. Preceding this order was Executive Order 14151, which ended DEI initiatives. Both of these executive orders are deeply flawed, dangerous, and misinformed. These two executive orders in tandem wreak havoc on academia as a whole, the ability to conduct research, and the ability of institutions to keep vital resources available to the public.
Health researchers, students, and professionals watched in shock as the Centers for Disease Control were ordered to scrub their website of vocabulary relating to the LGBTQ+ community or gender diversity. Many important resources used for research, outreach, and care have been removed in the wake of this order. This includes valuable datasets used worldwide as well as vaccination and medication guidelines for diseases such as Mpox and HIV which have been shown to disproportionately affect the LGBTQ+ community. As of early February, the CDC website is currently still under review to “comply with President Trump’s executive orders.”
The National Science Foundation has also fallen victim to these executive orders, and caused the reevaluation of active research in addition to retroactive removal of published works. Because of the speed at which this is happening, it is impossible to know exactly what has been removed from the NSF, especially because focus remains on the CDC. However, as with the CDC, we know this includes valuable resources for already vulnerable populations because of the words that are triggering review. Words that can trigger review and erasure reportedly range from ideas about race to discussions about gender and even to pregnancy and women’s health.
The demonstrated disregard for science and repression of academics is a bright red flag for how Trump flexes his oligarchic power further into the far-right.
The majority of academic media is digital and the current administration is relying on extreme censorship to purge the government of media they deem undesirable rather than physical removal of books and materials. This extreme censorship now replaces what would have been a burning of the books. This is where violence has the opening to take root.
The repression of experts in favor of protecting a political agenda is a tactic used to consolidate power, foster uncertainty, and promote misinformation to influence the general public. The attack on intellectuals and rise of anti-intellectualism under this administration is a concerning development that, at its extreme, would completely discredit researchers and academics.
This discreditation along with flooding the news are tactics used by the Trump administration to create confusion and evoke a feeling of powerlessness in order to prevent organization of both the general public and academics against actions taken by the federal government. It simply feels as though there are too many things to focus on. This development indicates that the United States is headed in a concerning direction that values loyalty to the government and adherence to political agendas over scientifically proven facts. It is so vitally important in this moment, as students especially, to continue to pursue truthful knowledge and stay informed.
From the point of view of a public health student, the erasure of extremely important health information that serves vulnerable populations is a form of violence. A lack of access to health information puts people at unnecessary risk, and may cause an increase in medically preventable illness and death. In addition, prevention of studies that aid vulnerable populations will cause the United States to fall even further behind in the healthcare field, and gaps in access will grow into chasms.
There are many populations that may feel the effects of violent censorship in the United States. Two of the most visible right now under the censorship of gender are women and transgender people. Already, these two populations make up just over half of the total population of the United States.
Transgender people as a whole are under a healthcare siege, and may have to face the terrifying reality of living in a healthcare desert that spans the whole of the United States. Preventing transgender people from accessing gender affirming care, a medically proven and safe solution for gender dysphoria as defined by the American Psychological Association, is an explicitly stated aim of this administration. The elimination of access to gender affirming care disregards the research and opinion of experts and only serves to possibly lower the quality of life of one million transgender Americans.
Women also find themselves in crisis. Bill H.R. 722 has already been introduced to congress with the aim of establishing legal rights of personhood for the human fetus. Not only would this implement a national abortion ban with no exceptions, but women could find themselves under increased surveillance while pregnant and those who experience miscarriage could find themselves in legal trouble. Without expert advising, bills that defy medical fact will continue to be introduced at the state and federal level.
With a lack of ability to publish research about issues that may defy the political ideology of the Trump administration, the crises that may arise from censorship would be more easily blocked from public view. This violence is less obvious because of its indirect nature, but is violence nonetheless.
Because of the possibility of dangerous outcomes, government censorship of scientific research should be considered a direct attack on the American people. Violent use of misinformation is a real risk that we find ourselves on the precipice of.
