The week began with the layoffs of 2,000 USAID employees, with most of the remaining agency’s workforce on leave. The dissolution of the critical U.S. humanitarian department has sent shockwaves through the international human rights and public health communities globally.
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As part of getting rid of the agency, the Trump administration is dismantling USAID’s LGBTQ+ initiatives, effectively erasing years of progress in protecting and supporting LGBTQ+ people worldwide. The consequences of this action, as outlined by a former USAID administrator who worked heavily with these programs, have already been devastating.
“We had built an infrastructure that wasn’t just about funding projects,” the former official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained. “It was about saving lives, establishing protections, and ensuring that LGBTQ+ individuals in some of the most hostile environments had a safety net. When the Trump administration gutted these programs, that safety net vanished overnight.”
USAID’s LGBTQ+ programs have played a critical role in addressing human rights abuses, providing lifesaving health services, and supporting economic opportunities for marginalized communities.
“We were funding shelters for people who were being targeted by their governments and families. We were supporting initiatives that provided HIV/AIDS medication to populations that couldn’t get it otherwise. And we were helping LGBTQ+ activists engage in policy work to change oppressive laws,” the former administrator said. “All of that was halted almost immediately.”
The abrupt end of these programs have forced many organizations that are reliant on USAID support to either scale back operations or shut down completely. The official said many groups on the ground in communities receiving USAID aid are worried about being able to continue their work.
“I’ve been getting desperate emails and phone calls from partner organizations worldwide,” the ex-official explained. “People are begging us, ‘What do we do now? How do we keep people from being arrested, beaten, sick or worse?’ And we have no answers for them.”
The USAID LGBTQ+ initiatives were particularly crucial in global HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment efforts. The dismantling of these programs coincided with broader Trump-era cuts to international health funding, exacerbating an already precarious situation.
“HIV/AIDS is still an epidemic, particularly in LGBTQ+ communities,” the former administrator said. “We were making incredible strides in prevention, treatment, and education. Then suddenly, we had entire regions losing access to lifesaving medication because of a political decision made in Washington.”
The former administrator detailed a heartbreaking case in sub-Saharan Africa where USAID had been funding clinics providing PrEP and antiretroviral therapy to vulnerable LGBTQ+ individuals.
“These clinics had their funding yanked with almost no notice," they said. That health care is no longer available to those who most need it. Not only does that mean skyrocketing infection rates, but that means people dying because they can't get their medication.
The ex-official also said they've heard local partners that have been "harassed or shut down by hostile governments emboldened by the U.S.’s retreat from LGBTQ+ rights.”
The elimination of USAID’s LGBTQ+ initiatives will continue to embolden oppressive regimes, they explained. They said that without the U.S. showing support for these projects, anti-LGBTQ+ governments will target queer people.
“The signal it sent was clear,” the former administrator emphasized. “Governments that were already cracking down on LGBTQ+ communities took it as a green light to go even further. If the United States wasn’t supporting human rights for LGBTQ+ people anymore, why should they hold back?”
One chilling example came from Uganda, where USAID had been supporting legal advocacy groups fighting against the country’s harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
“We were directly funding legal aid for people arrested under anti-homosexuality laws. When that money disappeared, the lawyers disappeared, and people had nowhere to turn,” the former administrator said. “I’ll never forget the messages I got from activists who had to flee their countries overnight.”
The economic impact of USAID’s LGBTQ+ programs was also substantial, particularly in regions where LGBTQ+ people faced significant employment discrimination. USAID has funded small business grants, workforce training programs, and initiatives designed to empower LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs.
“The ability to earn a living can mean the difference between safety and vulnerability for LGBTQ+ people,” the former administrator explained. “We helped trans women start businesses when no one else would hire them. We funded programs that trained LGBTQ+ youth in job skills that gave them a future. All of that was taken away.”
The administrator described a distressing case from Central America. USAID had a program that supported LGBTQ+ refugees who had fled persecution.
"One young man had just begun a culinary training program funded by USAID. When the program was shut down, he had no options. Last I heard, he was homeless,” the former official said.
The dissolution of USAID’s LGBTQ+ programs didn’t just harm individuals, they said, it also weakened U.S. diplomatic influence.
“These programs were a powerful tool in advancing U.S. interests abroad,” the former administrator noted. “They helped us build alliances, support human rights, and promote stability. When we abandoned them, we ceded ground to authoritarian regimes that were happy to fill the vacuum.”
China and Russia, in particular, look to capitalize on the retreat. The former official said that the two countries have stepped up with their own influence already.
The former administrator stressed that the damage inflicted by Trump can't simply be reversed overnight even if funding is returned.
“We are losing lives. We are losing years of progress. You can restart funding, but you can’t bring back the activists who will be killed, the organizations that fold, or the trust that has been broken,” the former administrator said. “We're not just that losing these programs. It’s that the world would know for certain that the U.S. is not a reliable partner in human rights.”
Despite the devastation, the former administrator remains committed to the fight for global LGBTQ+ rights. They urged people to stay politically engaged during this time.
“Vote," they said. "Hold leaders accountable. Support organizations on the ground doing the work that governments won’t.”
The former administrator said the next election isn't just about the U.S. and what happens domestically. Instead, they said, "It’s about whether the U.S. stands for human rights or abandons them again. And for LGBTQ+ people around the world, that’s a matter of life and death.”
