Dear John,

Today, I am writing to inform you that Advocates for Youth has ended our nearly 40-year working relationship with the United States government. Last week the organization received notice that within our two federal grants, we must follow the executive orders (EOs) President Trump issued related to DEI and gender identity.

Donate $50, 150, or $500 to fight back and support our work with young people

These EOs run completely contrary to our values, principles, and mission. We cannot accept federal funding when the strings attached jeopardize the fight for reproductive and racial justice.

Since our founding in 1980, Advocates for Youth has held fast to our core value that a youth-serving sexual and reproductive health organization must center racial justice and inclusion for all young people. In its first weeks, the Trump Administration has made it irrefutably clear they do not share our values or respect our right to carry out our mission. President Trump has gone to war on young people’s health and rights: he’s announced bans on DEI and discussions of gender, decimated the rights of survivors of sexual assault and transgender students, ordered ICE raids and deportations, furthered attacks on K-12 education – and that’s just the beginning. This administration has left thousands of young people living in fear. Advocates for Youth, long a partner of government agencies in public health and education, cannot do the work we do with the restrictions this lawless and cruel administration has put in place.

For over 30 years, Advocates for Youth has collaborated with federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Adolescent Health, and Office of Minority Health to support educators and run public health campaigns on HIV, STD prevention, contraception, and healthy relationships. Our grants have focused on youth facing health disparities, including young people of color, young women, and LGBTQ+ youth. Through our recent grants, we were combating HIV stigma and ensuring Black and Latinx youth have access to testing and care. Our efforts have reached hundreds of thousands of young people, and up until now, we have valued our partnerships with these federal agencies.

At the end of January, we received notification that to remain compliant with grant requirements, we would have to start following the racist, homophobic, and transphobic executive orders from the Trump Administration. Not only our programs, but our organization itself, could no longer strive for racial justice or affirmation and acceptance for LGBTQ+ people. That order isn’t just outrageous and offensive – it’s impossible. We will continue to stand with youth activists fighting for justice and meet the needs of vulnerable young people.

Will you stand with us by making a donation of $500, $150, or $500?

We believe that racial justice is central to our mission to protect and expand young people’s reproductive and sexual health and rights. We believe that Black and Brown youth deserve to thrive free from systemic barriers. We believe that LGBTQ+ youth deserve to be safe, affirmed, and celebrated. We believe that transgender young people deserve not only care but also legal and societal recognition. We believe in migrants’ rights to safety and health care. We believe in access to abortion care for all who need it. We are in solidarity with young people across the country fighting for reproductive rights, racial justice, and bodily autonomy, and we will never censor our voices or our beliefs.

We know that rejecting this funding will put a burden on our organization. We’re making a commitment to continuing all of our work, including programs impacted by the loss of federal funds, and to protecting and retaining our staff. Advocates for Youth’s staff and board are committed to this work and we’ll fight for young people’s health and rights as fiercely as we always have.

Your gift is a crucial component to continuing young peoples’ fight for sexual health equity.

Advocates is committed to ensuring that every young person has access to essential sexual health education and services. Young people today are resilient, and their dedication to sexual health, rights, and justice remains unwavering. They are standing strong, working to dismantle a system that seeks to control their bodies, silence their voices, and strip away their autonomy. But with this administration’s harmful attacks on young people, their fight is far from over. We cannot stand by as authoritarian policies threaten the future of our youth. We need your support to stop this dangerous agenda and protect the rights of every young person.

We urge you to join us in this critical fight. While we will do everything in our power to make change, we cannot do it alone. Your $100, $150, or $500 contribution can make a difference in this battle for justice, and together, we can ensure a brighter, more equitable future for young people everywhere.

Please stand with us. Together, we can protect their rights and build a better tomorrow.

Young people are counting on us now, more than ever.

In solidarity,

Deb