The American Agency for International Development (USAID) has more than $ 600,000 in financing Stonewall, a controversial LGBTQ+ British lobbying group that has long been relating to American financial support for its international programs.
The cutbacks, part of a broader evaluation of overseas assistance under the government of President Donald Trump, would have endangered the financial stability of Stonewall and at the same time expressed serious concern about the future of LGBTQ+ rights initiatives worldwide.
“We see an unprecedented political recoil against the principles of inclusion,” warned Simon Blake, CEO of Stonewall, who tackled the crisis frontally.
“The work to argue for LGBTQ+ Equality has never been so important and Stonewall assumes to take on the challenge.”
The consequences of the financing of USAID are already catastrophic.
Stonewall, which has been a leading voice for LGBTQ+ rights for decades, is now clearing for an enormous internal restructuring, with reports that suggest that no less than half of its staff could be fired in the coming months.
Blake confirmed that only roles with dedicated financing would be protected, which feeds speculation that important projects in Eastern Europe, a region where Stonewall has played an important role in combating anti -lgbtq+ violence -may now collapse completely.
The news about the reported cutbacks on Stonewall comes after it was revealed that the group became more and more dependent on the money from the taxpayers as the general finances suffer, as a result of which calls for public bodies to end his support for this.
USAID has drawn more than $ 600,000 on financing of Stonewall, an LGBTQ + British lobby group
“The work to argue for LGBTQ+ Equality has never been so important,” said Simon Blake, CEO of Stonewall, Simon Blake
In the past three years, the US has given Stonewall more than $ 600,000 to help
American financing to Stonewall came from American taxpayers money via the Global Equality Fund (GEM) – an initiative under the supervision of the US Department of Foreign Affairs, designed to support LGBTQ+ rights worldwide.
In the past three years, the US has given Stonewall more than $ 600,000 in help.
The annual reports from Stonewall show a steady rise in the rise in financing: $ 173,000 in 2021-22, $ 257,200 in 2022-23 and $ 294,000 in the most recent accounts.
But the financial statements of Stonewall also show that his shortage had more than doubled, from $ 550,000 to $ 1.1 million, in the last tax year.
Since 2015, the fund has not publicly released its financial data, as a result of which questions are asked about the openness of its activities.
In the past decade, the group has been involved in various controversies on Trans -Wasions, including claims that children can be as young as two transgender.
It was also attacked by one of his founders, Simon Fanshawe, on his 'extreme idea of self-identification' worth someone as the opposite sex can explain without having to provide evidence.
Stonewall reported a deficit of more than $ 1.1 million when the income dropped, while it was forced to use half of his reserves
British Charity Stonewall could be forced to cut half of his staff after Donald Trump had held his foreign auxiliary support
It has been reported that Trump's step to remove Stonewall's support via the Global Equality Fund, could see half of the charity staff who lose their jobs
Moreover, the charity has been taken under fire for its schemes that companies and the public sector charge for advice on how to become more inclusive.
The 'Workplace Equality Index' tells employers how they measure 'lesbian, gay, bi- and trans-inclusion' compared to others.
The Bank of England, as unveiled, has submitted a 103 pages application to pick up the list of 100 top employers from Stonewall, with the term 'birth parent' used.
With the abrupt pullback from USAID, the financial stream is now abruptly chopped off, so that Stonewall is climbing to secure alternative sources of financing.
The withdrawal of American support for Stonewall falls under the 'America First' strategy of Trump, which gives priority to domestic interests over foreign obligations.
Trump has tried to increase the money to trans -rights groups, as part of the president's action against the ideological movement.
The president has long been a vocal critic of overseas expenditure and repeatedly emphasizes the need for a complete assessment of American foreign utilities.
Attracting assistance to such a charity comes when Trump has a return sought for a strict binary definition of gender in the United States, which issues an executive order that states that the country has only two sexes – male and feminine.
The Trump administration ends almost all foreign tools managed by the United States Agency for International Development
People keep placards and screaming logans while gathering themselves outside the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to support employees who clean up their offices (depicted on Friday)
Stonewall is now increasingly dependent on the money from the taxpayers, because the general finances suffer from USAID reduce its share (shown: members participate in Pride in London Parade in 2015)
Despite the financial crisis, Stonewall remains challenging. The organization says that although the financing reductions have a major obstacle, they will not scare up the fight for global LGBTQ+ equality
Despite the financial crisis, Stonewall remains challenging. In a statement to the BBC, the organization made it clear that although the financing reductions have a major obstacle, they will not deter the struggle for the global LGBTQ+ equality.
'Many charities in the UK are confronted with difficult choices for various reasons, including the economic environment. Stonewall is no different, 'read the statement.
Blake doubled the dedication of the organization to global advocacy and emphasized that Stonewall will continue to collaborate with its partners to reduce the impact of the withdrawal of USAID
Although the British government continues to deposit millions in LGBTQ+ and gender -related initiatives, the American withdrawal signals a shift of worldwide equality projects and one that could encourage anti -LGBTQ+ movements worldwide.
Among the affected projects is the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which had previously received $ 40,000 in USAID financing for seminars of gender identity.
This amount has now been assumed, with little explanation why such cultural initiatives have ever been in the first place linked to American humanitarian auxiliary efforts.
Although Trump's government claims that the assessment of foreign aid is needed to align the expenditure with national interests, activists claim that the cutbacks on LGBTQ+ financing are not only about economics, but also politics.
