US funding halt impedes progress in LGBTQ+ rights advocacy across Pacific Islands

The Pacific region is witnessing a surge in HIV infections, with Fiji declaring an outbreak in January. Amidst this crisis, many LGBTQ+ organizations working tirelessly to prevent HIV in the region receive funding from the United States. However, a waiver issued by the US government for life-saving HIV care and treatment does not extend to all vulnerable LGBTQ+ communities.

For instance, only pregnant or breast-feeding women are allowed to receive preventative PrEP drugs, leaving many at risk. This underscores the urgent need for comprehensive and inclusive HIV prevention strategies.

Ratu Eroni, a co-chair of ILGA Oceania, has highlighted another pressing issue - the lack of data on Indigenous gender-diverse identities in the South Pacific region. This absence of data makes these communities essentially non-existent, according to Ratu Eroni, and hinders governments' ability to rationalize and support their needs.

Colonial-era sodomy laws, criminalizing same-sex activity, still exist in several Pacific nations, although they are rarely enforced. These laws contribute to the invisibility and marginalization of LGBTQ+ communities, making it harder for them to access essential services and resources.

The US funding freeze has put community-led data collection and research in jeopardy, as reported by advocates. This could further exacerbate the invisibility of these communities and hinder efforts to address their socioeconomic status, including employment and healthcare.

The Asia-Pacific region received only 5% of global LGBTQ+ funding between 2021 and 2022, despite being home to 55% of the world's population. The freeze in US funding has caused multiple NGOs to pause their work, according to Eamonn Murphy, director of UNAIDS regional support teams for the Asia-Pacific region.

One such organization is the Tonga Leitis Association, whose funds have been crucial in controlling the spreading of HIV and STIs. The Association's funds come from the Global Fund and Outright International. Without these funds, the LGBTQ+ community in Tonga, which has not recorded an HIV case since 2015, could see fresh cases if community-led organizations lose funding.

The Netherlands, the largest funder of LGBTQ+ rights worldwide, plans to cut overseas development aid by more than two-thirds over the next three years. This could further strain resources for LGBTQ+ communities in the Pacific Islands.

ILGA Oceania, the Pacific branch of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), runs a decriminalisation project seeking to challenge such laws and their influence. The organisation has paused the project and the Fiji project officer was let go as a result of the freeze.

The funding received by the Tonga Leitis Association comes from the Global Fund and Outright International. Australia and New Zealand are expected to pick up some of the shortfall, but in 2022 both nations had significantly less money allocated for developmental aid than the United States, let alone for LGBTQ+ rights.

Trump's January decision to freeze most US foreign aid until April 2020 could significantly stunt rights progress in the region, which is socially conservative and predominantly Christian. Concerns about the socioeconomic status of gender-diverse individuals, including employment and healthcare, are hard for governments to address without existing data, as stated by Ratu Eroni.

The DRL initiated an open competition for up to $2 million in funding for grassroots LGBTQ+ organizations in January 2024, but it is not clear what will happen to that funding stream now. The loss of this funding, along with the potential cuts in aid from the Netherlands, could leave LGBTQ+ communities in the Pacific Islands vulnerable and without the support they need to thrive.

US funding halt impedes progress in LGBTQ+ rights advocacy across Pacific Islands