A global crisis
The loss of US support has not only wiped out programmes that helped people access healthcare, education and jobs, but also hit initiatives seeking to change laws that still criminalise LGBTQ+ individuals in 65 countries.
In the Pacific region, where six island nations still have laws banning same-sex relations, a programme funded by USAID, the now-extinct US aid agency, that pushed for legal reform in places like Tuvalu, Tonga and Papua New Guinea was paused in January.
“Communities were left vulnerable, and critical momentum was at risk,” said Louisa Wall, chair of the project led by ILGA-Oceania, a regional LGBTQ+ group.
But the funding crisis is not solely because of US cuts.
In February, the Global Philanthropy Project (GPP), an LGBTQ+ funding initiative, estimated that at least US$105 million in donor government aid for LGBTQ+ rights was at risk, given anticipated cuts to overseas development assistance budgets, including from the Netherlands.
Activists fear other countries, including Britain, could soon cut LGBTQ+ funds.
Companies across the world have also pulled financial support from LGBTQ+ rights groups following Trump’s campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
“It’s a crisis like we’ve never seen before,” said Jason Ball, executive director at GiveOut, a foundation that raises funds for LGBTQ+ groups globally.
Who will step in?
Some groups are trying to fill the gaps.
Since June, support from the Human Dignity Trust and the New Zealand chapter of Amnesty International has allowed work to decriminalise same-sex activities to continue in the Pacific.
“While this support has filled an important gap, the work is far from complete,” Wall said.
“We urgently need more support from governments and other donors.”
GiveOut has launched an Urgent Response Fund that has raised US$350,000 from individuals, firms and foundations, while the GPP garnered US$182 million for the years 2025 to 2028 from governments and other donors.
But many traditional donor governments, including Germany, Sweden and Canada, are reducing foreign aid in general, sometimes in order to divert funds to defence.
The few that swim against the tide, such as Spain, Italy and Korea, cannot make up the deficit, activists said.
According to an estimate by the Human Rights Funders Network, rights-focused overseas development assistance is projected to decline by up to US$1.9 billion annually by 2026, with LGBTQ+ and gender equality initiatives being particularly hard hit.
This comes at a time when funding for anti-LGBTQ+ conservative groups is growing and lawmakers from the United States to Ghana and Kazakhstan are pushing to restrict the rights of their LGBTQ+ citizens.
This will force activists to abandon work they have spent years building and more narrowly focus their efforts, said Alex Farrow, CEO at the Kaleidoscope Trust, which campaigns for LGBTQ+ rights across Commonwealth countries.
“What we do not do is hope this is all going to suddenly get better and cling to the things that are comfortable and safe, but ultimately will not take us forward,” he said.
“It’s worth reminding ourselves that big government money and corporate sponsorships are an entirely modern phenomena.”
On the ground in rural Bangladesh, Shawon said fears for the health and safety of LGBTQ+ people are high, but the drive to make a difference persists.
“Simply giving up is not an option.”
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