Report
Defunding Freedom – Impacts of U.S. Foreign Aid Cuts on LGBTIQ People Worldwide
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Publish Date
February 13, 2025
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"More than funding has been taken away from us. Hope, belief, and a chance to pursue happiness was snatched away." – Activist, Trinidad and Tobago
The fight for global LGBTIQ equality is under attack.
In January 2025, the U.S. government froze nearly all foreign aid, abruptly ending over a decade of critical support for LGBTIQ organizations and human rights defenders across the globe. Grants were terminated overnight, programs shut down, and life-saving services ceased—leaving communities already facing violence and persecution even more vulnerable.
Our new report, Defunding Freedom: Impacts of U.S. Foreign Aid Cuts on LGBTIQ People Worldwide, reveals the devastating consequences of these cuts on frontline organizations working to safeguard the dignity, safety, and rights of LGBTIQ people.
This is more than a funding crisis—it is an assault on human rights and a retreat from the global progress that has empowered LGBTIQ communities for over a decade.
The Reality: What Happens When the Funding Stops?
When U.S. support vanished, the ripple effects were immediate and far-reaching. Organizations that had built trust with their communities were forced to lay off staff, close safe spaces, halt legal advocacy, and turn away LGBTIQ individuals seeking protection, health care, and support.
This report provides a first-of-its-kind rapid assessment of the damage drawn from grassroots organizations across 42 countries. It exposes:
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Increased Risks – Violence and arbitrary arrests are increasing as protective services and legal aid programs are dismantled.
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Voices Silenced – Vital advocacy for equality is being muted as organizations lose platforms to speak out and influence policy.
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Health care Jeopardized – HIV prevention and mental health services that LGBTIQ people rely on are disappearing.
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Economic Precarity – Programs that provide livelihoods for marginalized individuals have been scrapped, forcing many into unsafe conditions.
This is not just a funding gap. It is a rollback of rights, a silencing of progress, and a message to the world’s most vulnerable that they are on their own.
Why The Funding Freeze Matters
From 2011 to 2024, U.S. global leadership in supporting LGBTIQ rights was transformative. American funding—through USAID, the State Department, and initiatives like the Global Equality Fund—helped activists defend their communities, push back against discriminatory laws, and offer life-saving services.
That support echoed the demands of people across the globe—for fairness, dignity, and the freedom to live without fear.
But with the abrupt reversal of this commitment, those values—and lives—are now at risk.
Our report frames these impacts through a reimagining of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms,” adapted for the LGBTIQ struggle:
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Freedom from Want – Economic insecurity grows as livelihoods and essential services are dismantled.
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Freedom from Fear – Threats of violence increase as protective systems disappear.
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Freedom of Speech and Conscience – LGBTIQ voices are being pushed out of the public sphere.
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Freedom to Live in Dignity – The fundamental right to exist as LGBTIQ is under attack.
These freedoms should not be negotiable. Yet, today, they are being defunded.
Key Findings from the Report
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120 grants to LGBTIQ organizations in 42 countries suspended—ranging from grassroots groups to national and regional organizations.
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Services for violence prevention, health care, and legal support terminated across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
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A growing power vacuum exploited by anti-LGBTIQ forces, leading to increased discrimination, arrests, and violence.
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A chilling effect on advocacy, with groups fearful of reprisals or unable to continue their work without financial support.
This report is a call to action for governments, donors, and all who value equality. We must not allow a rollback in U.S. policy to silence decades of progress.
Who Needs to Read This Report?
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Policymakers and Legislators – U.S. Congress and global leaders must act to protect foreign assistance and defend human rights as core to democratic values.
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Bilateral and Multilateral Donors – Governments and institutions must fill the void left by U.S. withdrawal, ensuring LGBTIQ communities are not abandoned.
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Media and Journalists – The world needs evidence-based reporting, not sensationalism. This report provides the facts journalists need to expose the reality of these funding cuts.
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Corporate and Private Donors – Philanthropy is now the frontline. Corporations and private donors must step up to sustain life-saving work and ensure marginalized voices are heard.
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LGBTIQ Advocates and Allies – Global solidarity is the answer to government retreat. Activists, partners, and allies must rally together to ensure equality remains a shared global commitment.
Read the Report: Defunding Freedom
Get the full report for data, testimony, and recommendations from LGBTIQ organizations on the frontlines.
Together, we can ensure that the politics of exclusion do not succeed in erasing progress. We can uphold the right of every LGBTIQ person to live with dignity, safety, and freedom.
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