The recent layoffs of 2,000 USAID employees have significantly weakened the agency, particularly affecting its initiatives aimed at supporting LGBTQ+ communities. The Trump administration's dismantling of these programs is viewed as a severe setback in the advancement of human rights and assistance for vulnerable populations, reversing years of progress. A former USAID administrator lamented that the loss of funding means the disappearance of essential services such as shelters and healthcare for LGBTQ+ individuals, resulting in organizations shutting down or scaling back operations, thus jeopardizing lives and rights globally.
"We had built an infrastructure that wasn't just about funding projects; 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."
"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, all of that was halted almost immediately."
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