The Trump Administration’s Cuts to International Development Have Put Global LGBTQ+ Rights Groups in Danger: Report
Almost 50% of groups said they have lost more than half of their funding.
A new report from the global LGBTQ+ rights group Outright International has found that a majority of LGBTQ+ organizations around the world have had a significant cut in funding — and in some cases, organizations have had their funding cut completely.
The research in Breaking Point: The Urgent Need to Invest in Global LGBTQ Movements indicates that nine out of 10 LGBTQ+ organizations have faced a reduction in funding, a funding suspension, or a total loss of funding since 2025.
Outright International surveyed 229 organizations in 94 countries, as well as interviews in the region. Some that reported severe cuts were in countries with harsh anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes.
“The cuts fell hardest in countries where courts, police and public services already fail LGBTIQ people — the places where these organizations were the shelter, the lawyer and the emergency number,” Outright International writes.
The cause for much of these cuts was the cuts to development work from the U.S. government under President Donald Trump and the dismantling of USAID.
“Nearly half of those lost more than half their total budget, and more than half traced the loss to a U.S. government source,” according to the organization.
Two hundred and three of them lost funding or had funding reduced. Almost 50% reported they lost more than half of their budget. Seventy-five percent reported they lost more than a quarter of it.
GCN reports that the study highlighted the fear organizations have about running sustainably. Four out of 10 of the groups said they were at a high risk of closure. Only three percent said their group was financially okay.
The outlet reports that Outright International found that across four continents, shelters and safe houses were forced to shut down. In many places, HIV programs were cut.
“Examples in the report include an Iraqi advocacy group forced to suspend safety training for activists, an intersex-led organisation in West Africa unable to maintain its office or staff, and an Ecuadorian community centre forced to close after a decade of service,” GCN reports.
Outright International says LGBTQ+ rights organizations around the world are adapting to these reductions, but it also cautions that investment is needed to prevent an erosion of queer rights globally.
“The goal should not be to recreate the funding landscape that existed before January 2025. It should be to build one that is larger, more diverse, more flexible, and able to reach organizations operating where LGBTIQ people face the greatest barriers,” the organization writes.
