Under federal pressure, UK HealthCare pulls out of LGBT pride festival
The University of Kentucky’s healthcare system has withdrawn from an upcoming LGBT Pride event, citing federal restrictions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.
The decision comes amid a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Education into the university’s alleged violations of a January executive order signed by President Trump.
The University of Kentucky’s healthcare system (UK HealthCare) has withdrawn from an upcoming LGBT Pride event, citing federal restrictions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.
The decision comes amid a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Education into the university’s alleged violations of a January executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which bars universities receiving federal funds from promoting DEI initiatives.
“We have informed units that university resources cannot be expended on events or activities the federal government would define as identity-based,” university spokesman Jay Blanton told the Lexington Herald-Leader.
The Lexington Pride Festival, scheduled for June 28, bills itself as “Central Kentucky’s premiere festival for the LGBTQIA+ community,” according to its website. UK HealthCare had previously participated in the festival and was a 2024 sponsor.
According to Blanton, UK HealthCare’s withdrawal is a direct response to the federal probe.
“That is specifically what the university is under federal investigation for at this time,” he said. “We have not told people they cannot participate as private individuals.”
The Department of Education began investigating 45 institutions in March for allegedly failing to comply with the federal executive order, including UK. While the investigation’s focus is reportedly on race-based DEI practices, the university is treating identity-based events broadly to ensure compliance.
In April, Kentucky’s legislature passed its own anti-DEI law. In response, UK has accelerated efforts to dismantle DEI programming.
As Campus Reform reported, the school recently canceled two identity-based graduation events: a Lavender Graduation for LGBTQ-identifying students and a Harambee Unity Celebration for black graduates.
“Following a number of federal and state policy changes and directives, the university will no longer host identity-based or special-interest graduation celebrations,” Blanton told Campus Reform at the time.
[RELATED: Ohio State removes LGBTQ page amid state DEI restrictions from Senate Bill 1]
The university also eliminated its DEI office in 2024, prior to President Trump’s return to office.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Kentucky for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
