A new report from Channel partner Outright International, Defunding Freedom: Impacts of U.S. Foreign Aid Cuts on LGBTIQ People Worldwide, sheds light on the stark realities facing LGBTIQ movements around the world due to the sudden unexpected freeze and rollback of U.S. foreign aid starting in January 2025.

Despite widespread misinformation about the scale and scope of U.S. funding for LGBTIQ initiatives—such as exaggerated claims of massive financial allocations—the actual figures tell a different story. Between 2021 and 2024, U.S. government funding for LGBTIQ issues rose from $6 million to $25 million under USAID, with an additional $17 million in grants from the State Department, of which $7 million came from non-U.S. government sources. This funding played a critical role in supporting livelihoods, healthcare, and safety for LGBTIQ communities worldwide. 

Now, with the loss of this funding, the impact is immediate and severe. Based on funding data and interviews with LGBTIQ advocates in 45 countries, the Outright report makes the impact vivid. Organizations that provided emergency shelter for those fleeing persecution have been forced to close their doors. Healthcare providers serving LGBTIQ populations—including clinics offering HIV prevention and treatment—are shutting down, cutting off life-saving services. Economic empowerment initiatives that created jobs and provided financial independence for LGBTIQ individuals are being dismantled, reversing years of progress in creating sustainable livelihoods. 

Brilliantly, the report frames impact through a reimagining of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms,” adapted for the LGBTIQ struggle: Freedom from Want, Freedom from Fear, Freedom of Speech and Conscience, and Freedom to Live in Dignity. This framing effectively emphasizes how LGBTIQ equality is part of the longstanding history of struggle for civil rights in the U.S. – and how it must be maintained.   The importance of documentation cannot be overstated in this moment. As Outright International demonstrates, accurate reporting is essential to counteract the misinformation that has fueled attacks on LGBTIQ rights globally. The report exposes how misreporting has falsely inflated perceptions of U.S. funding, feeding into anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and policy rollbacks. By gathering real data and testimonies, Outright ensures that the lived experiences of affected communities are not erased or ignored. 

This is a call to action for policymakers, legislators, bilateral and multilateral donors, media and journalists, corporate and private donors, human rights organizations and particularly LGBTIQ advocates and allies to step in where U.S. support has been withdrawn. The Channel Foundation remains committed to supporting partners like Outright International in their crucial work of documenting, advocating, and mobilizing resources to protect the rights and well-being of LGBTIQ communities worldwide. Now more than ever, the global movement for equality needs sustained support, accurate information, and unwavering solidarity.