The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) recently announced the cancellation of numerous National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants that were previously approved under the Biden administration. These grants, which spanned a variety of topics, including LGBTQ+ focused projects, were deemed by DOGE as imprudent uses of taxpayer funds.
Among the revoked funding was a $350,000 grant intended for the creation of "interactive gay travel guides" and a $247,000 grant aimed at digitizing "stories of transgender adults in the Pacific Northwest." Additionally, a $60,000 grant was to support a study on the contributions of "LGBTQ+ cartoonists in the 1980s and 1990s," while a $75,000 grant was to examine "the relationship between internet live streaming and LGBTQ+ communities."
DOGE's actions were not exclusively directed at LGBTQ+ related projects. The agency also terminated a $150,000 grant for archaeological research into Egypt’s ancient brewery and a $350,000 grant for the Spanish-language adaptation of Homosaurus.org, a database on LGBTQ+ terminology. According to DOGE, these cancellations reflect a strategic shift towards merit-based projects that support "non-DEI, pro-America causes," signaling a departure from identity-based funding.
The estimated taxpayer savings from these cancellations alone reach about $163 million. This measure is part of a broader campaign by DOGE to eliminate wasteful spending, uncover fraud, and renegotiate government contracts. The agency reports that since its inception, it has facilitated approximately $170 billion in savings across various departments, equating to roughly $1,055.90 per taxpayer.
These savings have been unevenly distributed among federal agencies, with the Department of Health and Human Services leading the pack, followed by the General Services Administration and the Department of Education. The Department of Veterans Affairs, NASA, and the Department of Transportation are at the lower end of the savings spectrum.
By emphasizing fiscal responsibility and aligning projects with national interests, DOGE aims to ensure that taxpayer dollars are judiciously spent. This move has garnered support from fiscal conservatives who favor limited government expenditure and advocate for transparency in grant allocation.
DOGE's commitment to non-DEI, pro-America causes has been publicly affirmed through its social media statements. This shift in funding priorities represents a broader rollback of the previous administration's policies under DOGE's oversight. The public can anticipate ongoing scrutiny of grants that fail to demonstrate tangible merit or national benefit.
The reevaluation of federal spending priorities by DOGE has been one of the most significant recent efforts to curb government investment in humanities and related fields. As DOGE continues to expand its oversight, the general expectation is for the maintenance of this rigorous approach to reducing superfluous government spending.
