WEBINAR | A choke on LGBTI movements: the global impacts of foreign aid cuts
Summary:
A choke on LGBTI movements: the global impacts of foreign aid cuts
Join global civil society actors, donor representatives, and grassroots leaders to learn more about the effect of foreign aid cuts on LGBTI organisations and communities, and explore solutions and strategies for mitigating the crisis.
Event details
Date: Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Time: 15:00-16:30 Central European Summer Time (CEST) – find your time zone
Location: online – Register now
Language: English; Spanish
Accessibility: automated live captioning in English
A deep disruption to global human rights and development efforts
In recent months, a wave of funding freezes and cuts to foreign aid has deeply disrupted global human rights and development efforts. These changes have been developing for several months:
in November 2024, the Netherlands — the biggest government donor to the LGBTI movement — announced a 70% cut of their development funding for NGOs. Since then, several other countries have announced a reduction in their foreign assistance contributions imminently or within the next 12 months, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belgium, and France.
At the same time, foundation and philanthropic funding was also reduced, while the private sector has drastically cut its support as a result of the global hostility against DEI initiatives
While some organisations were prepared to weather the storm, the level of disruption that followed the announcement by the United States government and the rapid dismantling of USAID was unexpected.
The work of LGBTI movements — as well as on those supporting women and girls, and vulnerable people living in conflict zones and humanitarian crises — often depends on this vital support to defend rights, provide lifesaving services, and build inclusive and resilient communities.
The systematic defunding has damaged global movements at the core, and are occurring at a time of rising harmful political narratives that target civil society and political participation, creating more space for democratic backsliding and the decline in the rule of law.
The aid freeze is already threatening the survival of grassroots organisations, halting essential programs, and undermining decades of progress.
Rapid assessments conducted by global actors such as Outright International, Kaleidoscope Trust, AllOut, and the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus have documented these immediate and far-reaching impacts, revealing an urgent need for coordinated action and sustainable solutions.
This webinar will convene global civil society actors, donor representatives, and grassroots leaders to:
- share key findings from rapid impact assessments on the aid cuts’ effect on LGBTI organisations and communities
- amplify voices from the ground, providing space for frontline organisations to share stories of resilience and crisis
- explore solutions and strategies for mitigating the crisis, ensuring sustainability, and diversifying funding models
- foster dialogue and solidarity among global partners committed to the continued advancement of LGBTI people’s human rights under threat.
Speakers
- Neela Ghoshal, Outright International
- Alex Farrow, Kaleidoscope Trust
- Matt Beard, AllOut
- Riska Carolina, ASEAN SOGIE Caucus
- Bjôrn van Roozendaal, independent consultant
- Sharon Mottley, ILGA North America and the Caribbean (moderator)
- Grassroots leaders from impacted regions
The event is organised by ILGA World.
