The White House issued a scathing post on April 14, calling for an end to taxpayer funding for NPR and PBS—longstanding public media institutions that many in the LGBTQ community trust for balanced coverage. The article, titled “The NPR, PBS Grift Has Ripped Us Off for Too Long,” accuses both outlets of spreading what it calls “radical, woke propaganda disguised as news.” It calls out LGBTQ-related programming, including a Valentine’s Day feature on “queer animals,” a PBS documentary supporting reparations, and a drag queen segment on a children’s show.
Trump said, “Taxpayer funding of NPR’s and PBS’s biased content is a waste.” PBS and NPR are also criticized for refusing to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020, reporting on “genderqueer dinosaur enthusiasts,” and, in the article’s words, “suggesting doorway sizes reflect latent fatphobia.” Notably, the post derides NPR’s effort to educate teens with content like “Queer Ducks,” which explored animal sexuality.
While many in the LGBTQ community see public media as one of the few places telling their stories authentically, this latest attack underscores growing political hostility. At a time when queer youth face rising censorship and discrimination, public media remains a rare safe space—one now in the political crosshairs.
