A recent report reveals that cuts to funding by President Donald Trump for the State Department and USAID have significantly impacted LGBTQ activism worldwide.
This 80-page report, titled “Breaking Point: The Urgent Need to Invest in Global LGBTQ Movements,” published by Outright International, reviews 229 organizations across 94 countries. It aims to illustrate the damage these funding cuts have inflicted on LGBTQ communities.
According to the findings, 90 percent of surveyed LGBTQ organizations have reported losing U.S. taxpayer funding since January 2025. Notably, 49 percent of these groups saw more than half of their total budget disappear, while 75 percent lost at least a quarter of their funding.
Furthermore, 40 percent of the organizations identified themselves as being in severe or immediate danger of closure, with less than 4 percent claiming stability.
Countries that are less accepting of LGBTQ communities were reportedly twice as likely to lose funding. Over half of the surveyed organizations directly linked the loss of U.S. support to government cuts.
The report offers specific examples of how U.S. tax dollars had previously been allocated. For instance, Diversidad Dominicana, an organization in the Dominican Republic, now struggles to keep operational. At its peak, the organization focused on nurturing LGBTQ political leaders, creating what the report termed a “pipeline for queer political participation.”
In Hungary, the U.S. funding supported the Háttér Society, which trained activists to counter “anti-gender discourse.” Grants had also funded feminist queer collectives in Kyrgyzstan, but community members, including trans sex workers, are now resorting to self-funding for legal services due to the cuts.
In Turkey, the May 17 Association closed its trans-led “climate crisis and emergency response program,” as well as an office and several employee positions since January 2025, according to the report.
Other initiatives like Dignity for All, which previously supported unregistered LGBTQ activist groups, also faced funding losses.
The report mentions various USAID spending items, such as $15 million allocated for condoms for the Taliban, $3.3 million aimed at supporting the LGBTQ community in the Caribbean, and $1.5 million intended for job opportunities for LGBTQ individuals in Serbia. Additionally, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast noted that the State Department had funded a drag show in Ecuador, a transgender opera in Colombia, and an LGBTQ-centered comic book in Peru.
Reports indicate that leaders in regions less accepting of LGBTQ rights—like the Middle East and North Africa—often cite such programs to further radicalize local populations against Western ideals, viewing notions of sexual pride as flawed extensions of Western values.
This climate presents opportunities for rival nations like Russia to step in, positioning themselves as allies to these less accepting countries while adhering to their traditional values.
After Trump’s second inauguration, a significant change in U.S. taxpayer funding began when he signed Executive Order 14169, which imposed a 90-day freeze on most foreign assistance, impacting programs that had been vital to many LGBTQ initiatives.
Shortly thereafter, Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved a waiver for “lifesaving humanitarian assistance,” specifically excluding “transgender surgeries” from that category. However, Outright International argues that these cuts led to dire consequences, including interruptions in HIV treatment, a lack of funding for safe housing, and reduced mental health care, particularly in communities with high suicide rates.
By February 2025, organizations began receiving termination notices rather than temporary pauses. What started as a freeze transformed into a more permanent shift in funding dynamics.
The report’s findings mark a sharp decline following over a decade of U.S. funding for LGBTQ organizations and human rights defenders abroad. The U.S. State Department had previously partnered with the Global Equality Fund, contributing over $100 million in the first ten years to LGBTQ groups in numerous countries.
By August 2025, the White House committed to eliminating $5 billion in international aid that conflicted with the President’s priorities, notably those that supported LGBTQ populations.
Vice-President JD Vance highlighted that under the previous administration, U.S. resources were used to promote what he termed “radical gender ideology” globally, arguing instead for a focus on family and human flourishing.
Trump’s cuts extended beyond federal funding; his rhetoric also influenced others to withdraw support from these initiatives. A transgender activist from Nepal, Manisha Dhakal, mentioned how Trump’s statements regarding gender impacted discussions and made people reluctant to engage with programs.
Dhakal stated their organization felt the need to adjust their identity presentation to qualify for remaining funding.
Ultimately, the report from Outright International promotes the idea that private philanthropy should step in to fill the void left by U.S. government cuts, rather than seeking renewed government support.
