Elon Musk’s Doge falsely brands feminine hygiene research as transgender study, cancels $600,000 grant

A $600,000 federal grant awarded to Southern University for researching sustainable feminine hygiene products has been abruptly canceled after US officials misrepresented it as a study on “menstrual cycles in transgender men.” The misinformation, amplified by the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge ) on its website and on X, has triggered safety fears for the lead researcher and backlash from the scientific and farming communities.

The grant, titled Project Farm to Feminine Hygiene, was designed to explore alternatives to synthetic menstrual products using natural fibers like regenerative cotton. It also included educational outreach for women and girls and plans to establish a local fiber-processing facility.

But Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins revoked the funding last month, incorrectly framing the project as focused on transgender menstruation. “The real loss is for women,” said Sharon Donnan, founder of Acadian Brown Cotton, a key partner in the project. “It makes me so angry that I want to start calling names.”

Doge , led by President Donald Trump’s advisor Elon Musk, is spearheading sweeping cost-cutting efforts across the federal government. While the department claims to be eliminating wasteful spending, critics say it’s increasingly targeting programs based on distorted or outright false narratives.

“This was just one more senseless, hateful cancellation,” said a representative of Acadian Brown Cotton, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns

According to the US Department of Agriculture and five sources interviewed by AFP, the grant mentioned the word “transgender” only once—in a single line acknowledging that some transgender men may menstruate. Southern University issued a statement clarifying that the project “was not a study on or including research on menstrual cycles.”

Despite that, Rollins repeated the false narrative during a White House Cabinet meeting, while Doge promoted it online. The misleading claim fueled online outrage so intense that the project’s lead researcher, Samii Kennedy Benson, feared for her safety, sources said.

“This grant would have expanded the market,” said a cotton farmer who contributed to the study. “It’s kind of sad it got cut off in the middle.”

Southern University, a historically Black college, also aimed to support local cotton growers in Louisiana—one of the nation’s poorest states. Norris Green Jr., a Black farmer excited to contribute to the project, urged federal officials to witness the impact of their decisions firsthand. “Come to the Gulf and see how many of these females are impoverished,” he said. “You might have a different perspective.”

The incident is part of a broader pattern tied to Doge ’s controversial agenda. The agency has come under scrutiny for spreading falsehoods about various federal programs—ranging from fabricated claims about government-funded transgender mice to condoms supposedly sent to war-torn Gaza.

“Most factual information about Doge either never makes it in front of the people who need it most or is received with hostility,” said Audrey McCabe, an analyst with the nonprofit Common Cause. “Once a falsehood infiltrates public consciousness, an investigation correcting the lie can only do so much to cancel it out.”

Doge ‘s website, which promotes its cost-saving efforts, has been flagged by media reports as being riddled with inaccuracies. Despite mounting criticism, officials have continued to promote dubious narratives—many of which receive millions of views online.

The Biden administration has not commented on the specific cancellation, and Benson has not responded to interview requests.