The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a U.S. child safety and rights nonprofit that works closely with the federal government to report on and highlight cases of missing children and teens, especially those who might be at increased risk of abuse, exploitation or other serious harm.
It released a statement on Feb. 7 that “like many federally funded nonprofits, NCMEC was directed by DOJ to comply with Executive Order 14168,” in an email obtained by NBC.
Executive Order 14168 is a recently issued order by Donald Trump that outlines a change in the U.S. federal government’s stance toward transgender individuals and gender recognition, declaring that it would no longer recognize any gender identity other than the one aligned with an individual’s rigid, binary sex assigned at birth. It claims to be designed to “protect” cisgender women from what Trump terms “gender ideology,” and outlines heavily biologized definitions of what it recognizes as “male” and “female.”
EO14168 also declares an end to any and all federal funding for most gender-focused programs in an attempt to combat this perceived “gender ideology,” and directs agencies to “remove all … messages that promote or otherwise inculcate [the same].”
The order also instructs all agency heads to provide an update to Trump addressing “agency-imposed requirements on federally funded entities, including contractors, to achieve the policy of this order.” In its list of specific examples of documents to be rescinded, it names Title IX (sexual discrimination and assault prevention) guidelines previously issued by the Department of Education. It also names White House toolkits on “Creating Inclusive and Nondiscriminatory School Environments for LGBTQI+ Students,” “Supporting LGBTQI+ Youth and Families in School” and “Confronting Anti-LGBTQI+ Harassment in Schools,” among others.
Popular queer-focused publication The Advocate outlines that the NCMEC has “erased all references to LGBTQ+ and particularly trans children from its public materials.” The Verge reports that the removal was a result of a direct threat from the Trump Department of Justice to “pull the organization’s federal funding” if it refused to comply with the DOJ’s anti-trans orders. The actions follow Trump’s “day-one” attitude toward trans people and especially trans children, a “sweeping and cruel” approach intricately programmed to systematically deny and remove legal and societal protections for trans and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
The Verge used the popular web tool known as the Wayback Machine, a tool which gathers data on websites and archives it in a form that renders a user able to view the old version of a site, to find that “at least three key reports – including those on missing children with suicidal tendencies and male victims of child sex trafficking – were removed after January 24.” In addition to this, three “crucial” toolkits with information on preventing child sex trafficking that had explicit mentions of trans and homeless youth who identify as LGBTQIA+ were also removed.
Journalist Marisa Kabas of independent blog The Handbasket reported on Bluesky that she had learned that “staff [at NCMEC] were told they need to deadname trans kids in their reports to comply.” To “deadname” someone is to use a trans individual’s birth/legal name against their will instead of the name that they wish to go by, and Kabas remarked that “there’s been a whole lot of evil shit this week, but this is close to the top of the list.”
She then confirmed this with multiple sources once she posted it to her blog itself, and also added that the actions may actually be “in violation of the court order halting the federal funding freeze.” (Federal judges in Maryland, Rhode Island and numerous other states have recently ruled against the Trump administration in numerous lawsuits brought by states who were affected when he tried to freeze federal spending on programs that he disagreed with.)
A staffer at NCMEC who provided information to Kabas remarked that they felt that leadership was actually willingly complying with the DOJ’s demands and refusing to “zealously defend the most vulnerable,” and said that “[they] leave you to draw your own conclusions about whether NCMEC is [actually] being forced.” Many commenters echo the staffer’s opinion on Bluesky, alleging that the organization is caving to Trump’s demands and, as one puts it, willingly ignoring “a group of children [that] Donald Trump wants dead.”
The Advocate also noted that “within 24 hours of Trump’s return to office, federal websites scrubbed LGBTQ+ and HIV-related resources,” calling it an “attack on transgender youth” and “part of a broader, coordinated effort by the Trump administration to erase LGBTQ+ people from public life.” Many other advocacy organizations have also condemned the administration’s actions as blatant erasure and wildly harmful censorship.
Don McGowan, a former board member at the NCMEC and a “vocal advocate for trans kids,” told Kabas that “Congress created NCMEC, gave it immunity, and funded it because they do the dirty work…they need NCMEC as much as [it] needs them.” McGowan said that “if [NCMEC] said this Order is putting kids at risk … they are just about the only [organization] in the country that has a chance of making that happen. It’s morally wrong for them not to.” The staffer added that “rather than fight back, [NCMEC] chose to sacrifice trans children on the altar named ‘funding.’ If [they] are willing to capitulate to this, then the logical question must be asked: who’s next?”
Note from the Author:
Throughout this latest administration, we’ve seen countless efforts to blatantly and inexcusably strip America’s most vulnerable youth of their basic human rights. Day by day, it is becoming more and more dangerous and dehumanizing to be trans in the United States. Is this really the new reality? The new normal? Is every young person in America really just doomed to watch innocent sixteen-year-olds being called “filth” by the very government whose job it is to advocate for them and protect them, which leaves them instead to be gunned down in their schools?
When is it finally worthy of outrage? How many more must die violent deaths at the hands of extremists before the lives of America’s vulnerable future are actually paid any attention whatsoever? How many more children’s blood must spill before the nation finally decides that it’s had enough?
Sabr Keres-Siddiqui is a sophomore majoring in sociology and minoring in journalism/journalism advocacy.
