Biden's Answer To Curing Eating Disorders: More LGBT Pride

The Biden-Harris administration has granted millions of dollars in funding for a virtual treatment that aims to help cure eating disorders by "affirming" LGBTQIA+ patients' sexual orientation and gender claims.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health awarded Auburn University assistant professor of psychological sciences Tiffany Brown and San Diego State University professor of psychology Aaron Blashill up to $5 million in grants to "develop and provide" the Promoting Resilience to Improve Disordered Eating (PRIDE) treatment--a virtual "identity-affirming eating disorder treatment for LGBTQIA+ patients," the Auburn University College of Liberal Arts website states.

The PRIDE initiative is undergirded by the idea that "identity-related stress" is an "underlying motivator of disordered eating," and thus that "affirming and supporting" patients' beliefs that they are LGBTQIA+ can help cure eating disorders.

"Even when available, many LGBTQIA+ people across the country feel uncomfortable accessing treatment, for fear of discrimination or lack of understanding," Brown said of the PRIDE initiative. "That is why we are so excited and honored to receive this grant from the NIMH [National Institute for Mental Health] to evaluate a treatment that integrates approaches that affirm and support LGBTQIA+ identities."

Brown runs Auburn's Appearance Concerns, Eating, Prevention & Treatment lab, which states its aim is to "improve eating disorder treatment for traditionally underserved populations," according to the Auburn website. Blashill heads San Diego State University's Body Image, Sexuality and Health lab, which "explores the role body image plays in influencing eating disorders and other health behaviors, with a focus on health disparities among sexual and gender minority individuals."

The PRIDE initiative exemplifies a pattern of spending by the Biden-Harris administration that critics argue prioritizes ideological goals over evidence-based solutions or fiscal responsibility. One notable example includes the administration's funding of international LGBTQ initiatives, such as a program in Guatemala supporting gender-transition surgeries. 

Critics contend that such expenditures, especially in nations facing significant socioeconomic challenges, reflect misplaced priorities and an exportation of controversial U.S.-centric ideologies rather than addressing more pressing local needs. This pattern has fueled conservative criticism that taxpayer dollars are being misused to promote divisive social agendas rather than addressing widespread health or economic crises.

Similarly, the Biden administration has funded projects such as a $2 million health app in Malaysia that gives instructions for reducing harm during drug-fueled sexual encounters among men. While proponents argue that such programs mitigate public health risks, detractors question whether this is an appropriate use of American tax dollars, especially when domestic public health and social service programs remain underfunded. 

Critics see this as an example of catering to niche interests at the expense of broader, bipartisan public health solutions, further polarizing taxpayers who expect their contributions to be directed toward universally beneficial initiatives.

The incoming Trump administration could be poised to crack down on Biden's LGBTQIA+ agenda, with President-elect Donald Trump announcing the creation of a Department of Government Efficiency on Nov. 12 that will look to "slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies."

"The woke mind virus consists of creating very, very divisive identity politics ... that amplifies racism; amplifies, frankly, sexism; and all of the -isms while claiming to do the opposite," Department of Government Efficiency co-leader Elon Musk said at an event in Italy in December 2023, according to The Wall Street Journal. "It actually divides people and makes them hate each other and hate themselves."

Originally published at The Daily Signal