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LGBTQ+ rights worsen in several countries following US policy changes

March 13, 2026

The Trump administration's 90% USAID funding cut and shift away from gender issues has severely impacted LBQT+ (lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans) organizations in South Asia and beyond, forcing many to close or dramatically reduce services. The funding crisis has hit particularly hard because these groups already face invisibility within broader LGBTQ+ movements that historically prioritize gay men and trans women, while operating in contexts where women's sexuality is culturally erased and homosexuality remains criminalized in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Organizations are now exploring alternative funding sources including local philanthropy, resource-sharing arrangements, and non-rights-based fundraising activities to survive.

Who is affected

  • LBQT+ (lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans) individuals and organizations in South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka) and Belize
  • Smaller grassroots LBQT+ organizations that receive funding through intermediaries
  • Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice and other feminist funds that lost USAID funding
  • Trans people requiring healthcare services (three transgender clinics in India, including Mitr clinic in Hyderabad, were shut down)
  • Specific organizations: Mobbera Foundation (India), PETAL (Belize), Asia LBQ Network
  • Women-led organizations working on gender issues
  • Gay men and transgender individuals within broader LGBTQ+ movements
  • Activists and workers experiencing increased stress, burnout, and safety concerns
  • Individuals named in the article: Sandii, Nafisa, Joy Chia, Alex Farrow, Jean Chong, Charrice Talbert, Magistrate Margaret McKenzie

What action is being taken

  • Astraea Foundation is ensuring its partners are safe from government overreach and scrutiny
  • Organizations are exploring alternative fundraising themes like climate change
  • Organizations in Bangladesh are contemplating sharing resources and services, renting out spaces, and providing catering services to each other
  • PETAL in Belize is planning to raise funds by providing printing services for school students
  • Asia Feminist LBQ Network is helping set up the Queer Feminist Fund (QFF) as an independent, regional feminist funding initiative
  • LBQ+ communities are engaging online and holding smaller private events like book readings
  • Organizations are framing their work under "gender diversity" rather than explicitly LBQ issues (particularly in Pakistan)

Why it matters

  • This matters because it demonstrates how US foreign policy shifts create cascading global impacts on marginalized communities already facing systemic invisibility and violence. The funding cuts threaten life-saving programs and services for LBQT+ individuals who face unique challenges - they experience erasure even within LGBTQ+ movements that prioritize gay men, operate under criminalization of homosexuality in multiple countries, and navigate deeply patriarchal cultures where women's sexuality is denied. The policy changes have emboldened anti-queer actors across the region, increased violence particularly against trans feminine people, and pushed already-invisible LBQT+ communities further into the shadows. The significance extends beyond immediate service disruptions to reveal structural issues: the dependency on Global North funding, the historic marginalization of women and LBQ+ issues within LGBTQ+ organizing, and how international political dynamics can either strengthen or undermine local human rights progress.

What's next

  • Organizations will implement resource-sharing and alternative fundraising strategies once existing funds run out
  • The Queer Feminist Fund is being established to provide flexible core support to grassroots collectives
  • Sabrang clinic (reopened with Tata Trusts support after closure as Mitr clinic) continues operating
  • Pride Fund launched by Godrej Industries, Keshav Suri Foundation, and Radhika Piramal will support LGBTQ+ community organizations
  • Alternative means of supporting movement building are under discussion and being tested, though concerns about consistency and sustainability remain

Read full article from source: Global Voices