Rebuilding LGBTQ Research: Your Help Needed

I have dedicated my life to conducting science that will improve the health and well-being of the LGBTQ community. I have been fortunate to have a great deal of success in obtaining grants to conduct my work, mostly from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. I hope to spend the rest of my career helping to improve the lives of members of my community.

As some of you know, all of my research grants were terminated by the government in March 2025 because they allegedly focused on “DEI” or “gender identity” issues. I have spent more than a decade building a well-funded and highly impactful program of research that aims to reduce health disparities that affect LGBTQ people. This includes a series of studies designing and evaluating a digital program that teaches LGBTQ young people relationship skills in order to improve their romantic relationships and reduce their risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Until recent changes in the government, this program – called “2GETHER” – was designated by the CDC as a “Best Evidence” intervention - the highest endorsement the agency can give. I have also been heavily involved with studies that follow young LGBTQ people over time as they age into adulthood to understand how numerous health issues develop from adolescence into young adulthood, and onward toward middle age. These studies have served as a platform for developing numerous interventions that aim to improve health and well-being. Finally, I was director of a training program that was funded to train post-doctoral scholars to be the next generation of scientists that could end health disparities for LGBTQ people. All of these grants and programs were eliminated in March 2025 by the government.

Since March 2025, I've laid off my entire team and am back at square one in terms of rebuilding my program of research. At my university, professional development funds are tied to the amount of grant funding a faculty member has. So when I lost all of my grant funding, I lost all access to professional development funds from my university. I fought and appealed this decision, but I was denied. I remain steadfastly committed to improving the lives of LGBTQ people and also recognize the reality that I will need to expand my research focus in the coming years. Here’s the problem – I need professional development funds to make this happen. Without these funds, I cannot do the things that are essential to getting my research program back on its feet. For example, I cannot pay dues to any professional organizations, take trainings in new areas of science or research methods, or travel to meet with existing or new collaborators to pave a way forward. Further, I was approved to live in Copenhagen for several months this fall to build bridges with European scientists conducting LGBTQ health research – but without professional development funding, I cannot afford to do so.

I am asking for your support. I have attempted to receive professional development funding from my university but have not been successful due to constraints in the way such funding is awarded. Crowdsourcing is my only current option. This money will be used exclusively for professional development purposes and strategic research opportunities. Any amount is helpful. I will report back to those who have given to let you know how your generous donations have furthered science for the LGBTQ community.

Thank you for your support of me, as well as LGBTQ science.