In January 2025, the U.S. government froze most foreign aid, abruptly ending more than ten years of vital support for LGBTIQ organisations and human rights defenders worldwide. Grants were halted overnight, forcing programs to close and cutting off life-saving services, leaving communities already facing violence and persecution even more exposed.

Outright’s report, Defunding Freedom: Impacts of U.S. Foreign Aid Cuts on LGBTIQ People Worldwide, documents the profound harm these cuts have caused to frontline groups protecting the safety, dignity, and rights of LGBTIQ people. This crisis represents not just a loss of funding, but a serious setback for human rights and a reversal of global progress achieved over the past decade.