A federal agency’s attempt to remove the words “gay,” “lesbian,” “bisexual” and “transgender” from the title of a talk given at a federally funded suicide prevention conference is drawing ire from scores of mental health experts and the GLBT community. The conference, which will be held on Feb. 28 in Portland, OR, is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). On the agenda was a talk that, until SAMHSA officials stepped in, was titled, “Suicide Prevention among Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Individuals.” Officials from SAMHSA suggested omitting direct reference to GLBT individuals in the title, instead using the term “sexual orientation.” Ron Bloodworth, one of the three specialists coordinating the session, objected to the change. In an interview with the Washington Post, he stated, “Everyone has a sexual orientation, but this is about gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders.” He also noted that transgender people differ from others in terms of sexual identity, not sexual orientation. The agency also told him not to use the term “gender identity.” According to SAMHSA, the suggestion of the term “sexual orientation” is because of its inclusiveness. However, the latitude of their “suggestion” is debatable. Asked by the Washington Post how strong the suggestion was, Mark Weber, a spokesperson for SAMHSA, replied, “Well, they do need to consider their funding source.” The session was then re-titled “Suicide Prevention in Vulnerable Populations”, but the censorship has already brought increased scrutiny to the agency. Consequently, SAMHSA has backed off its original position and is allowing the talk to proceed with its original title. However, both mental health professionals and activists have become increasingly concerned that this action may be part of a larger pattern of politics undermining the freedom and credibility of the health and science fields.