Fact Check: the biden administration invested $8 million dollars into making mice transgender

Fact Check: "The Biden Administration Invested $8 Million Dollars into Making Mice Transgender"

What We Know

The claim that the Biden administration invested $8 million into "making mice transgender" stems from a series of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants for various studies involving mice and gender-affirming hormone therapies. According to a White House article, the total funding for these studies amounted to approximately $8.29 million, which includes several specific projects such as:

$455,000 for a study on the effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy on HIV vaccine responses.
$2.5 million for research on reproductive consequences of steroid hormone administration.
$299,940 for examining gender-affirming testosterone therapy's impact on breast cancer.
$735,113 for studying microbiome effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy.
$1.2 million for research on androgen effects on reproductive neuroendocrine functions.
$3.1 million for studying gonadal hormones' roles in asthma outcomes.

These studies, while involving hormone treatments and gender-related research, do not explicitly aim to "make mice transgender" in the colloquial sense of the term, which implies a direct alteration of the mice's gender identity or biological sex.

Analysis

The claim has been echoed by various political figures, including former President Donald Trump, who characterized the funding as wasteful spending on "making mice transgender" (source-3). However, a more nuanced understanding reveals that the studies funded by the NIH are primarily focused on understanding the biological impacts of hormone therapies and their implications for health, rather than altering the gender identity of the mice.

The White Coat Waste Project, which reported on the funding, stated that over $10 million was spent on creating transgender animals, but this figure includes various species and broader research initiatives, not solely focused on mice. Additionally, Rep. Nancy Mace's statements during congressional hearings have been criticized for their sensationalism, as they imply a level of surgical alteration that is not substantiated by the research outcomes (source-2).

Moreover, a fact-check conducted by WCPO 9 News clarified that while the NIH studies do involve hormone treatments, they do not specifically target the objective of "making mice transgender" as a defined goal of the research (source-4). This distinction is crucial in evaluating the validity of the claim.

The sources used in this analysis vary in reliability. The White House article provides a direct account of the funding and research, while statements from political figures may carry inherent biases aimed at rallying support or opposition. The White Coat Waste Project, while informative, may also have a vested interest in portraying the research in a negative light.

Conclusion

The claim that the Biden administration invested $8 million specifically into "making mice transgender" is Partially True. While the NIH did allocate approximately $8.29 million for studies involving hormone therapies in mice, these studies are not explicitly aimed at altering the gender identity of the animals. Instead, they focus on understanding the biological effects of such treatments. The terminology used in the claim oversimplifies and misrepresents the nature of the research.

Fact Check: the biden administration invested $8 million dollars into making mice transgender