Thread: How fascist policies are destroying the research that's been studying my brain for 8 years

[Gast]

Thread: How fascist policies are destroying the research that's been studying my brain for 8 years

I've been part of a Stanford adolescent brain development study since I was a kid - 8 years of my life contributing to science. Yesterday I saw firsthand how Trump's authoritarian bullshit is literally erasing scientific knowledge.

For years, this study included questions about gender identity - because, you know, that's actually relevant to understanding how adolescents develop. This year? Completely gone.

The researchers explained that Trump didn't just gut NIH funding - he made it illegal for any federally-funded research to even mention gender identity. They can't use the word "gender" at all. Only "sex" with binary options.

I watched these scientists - people I've known for years, who've dedicated their lives to understanding human development - have to explain how politicians are literally censoring their research. They called it "awful" but they had no choice: comply or lose all funding.

This hit me hard because this study has been part of MY life for 8 years. Watching authoritarians destroy scientific knowledge that includes my own data, my own contribution to understanding adolescent development - it's personal.

And this is happening everywhere. Universities across the country are being forced to choose between scientific integrity and keeping their research alive.

What we need to do:

• Demand Democrats restore NIH funding WITHOUT ideological restrictions when they're back in power
• Support scientists and research institutions fighting these restrictions
• Recognize this as part of the broader fascist assault on education and knowledge
• Keep sharing these stories - people need to see the real impact

This isn't just about research funding. It's about whether we'll let authoritarians decide what scientists are allowed to study about human beings.

Fascism doesn't just come for marginalized people - it comes for knowledge itself.