The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a prominent child safety nonprofit, has removed several publications from its website that referenced LGBTQ+ issues, particularly transgender children. According to reports, the removals were made under threat of losing government funding, as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to eradicate recognition of trans people in the US.

The NCMEC website hosts various reports on child endangerment issues, including data on abduction, sex trafficking, and online enticement. However, comparisons with the Wayback Machine show that at least three documents on its "NCMEC Data" page have been removed since the page's last archived date of January 24th. These removed reports included mentions of LGBTQ+ and particularly transgender children. The 13 remaining publications on NCMEC's data page do not contain these references.

Furthermore, NCMEC removed three guides to recognizing and preventing child sex trafficking within the same date range. These guides mentioned homeless youth who have been "kicked out due to lack of acceptance of their sexual orientation or gender identity" and victims of child sex trafficking, including "boys, girls, and transgender youth."

While it's unclear when precisely the reports were taken down, and website data can be removed for various reasons, NCMEC did not respond to a request for comment from The Verge. However, reporter Marisa Kabas posted that the Department of Justice had threatened to withhold NCMEC's funding unless it conducted a review of its site. An alleged email sent to staff members on Wednesday stated that NCMEC had been "contacted by our primary grantor" on Monday to ensure all its materials were "in compliance with the spirit of the President's Executive Orders."

Don McGowan, a former NCMEC board member who has previously criticized its management for failing to address dangers to trans children, also confirmed on Bluesky that he'd heard about the purge request from friends still at the center. Losing funding would likely devastate NCMEC, which received $50 million of its roughly $70 million in revenue from government contracts and grants in its last financial report.

The NCMEC is responsible for operating the CyberTipline, which receives and processes reports of child sexual abuse. The tipline has become a major link between government investigators and tech platforms, which use it to file millions of reports each year. President Trump has signed multiple executive orders targeting transgender children and adults, including one that attempts to bar the legal recognition of trans people and another that restricts gender-affirming care for trans youth. Numerous lawsuits are pending against these orders, and at least one has been temporarily blocked by a judge.

This development raises concerns about the impact of political pressure on organizations working to protect vulnerable populations, including LGBTQ+ youth. The removal of these publications and guides may hinder efforts to address the specific challenges faced by transgender children, who are already at a higher risk of exploitation and abuse.

The incident highlights the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights and recognition in the US, particularly under the current administration. As the debate surrounding transgender rights continues, it remains to be seen how this incident will affect the work of organizations like NCMEC and the broader landscape of child safety and protection.