Funding halt for LGBTQ+ rights initiatives impedes progress in Pacific Islands, as announced by the US.

In the Pacific region, an important organization, FLAS (Funding Latino AIDS Support), has been receiving U.S. government funding for its work in supporting LGBTQ+ rights and HIV prevention efforts. FLAS conducts outreach and education programs for HIV prevention among Hispanic youth, a crucial service in the fight against the virus.

However, a recent U.S. government decision to freeze most foreign aid until April 2020 could significantly stunt the progress made in this area. The freeze has put community-led data collection and research in jeopardy, according to advocates, and has caused multiple NGOs to pause their work, as stated by Eamonn Murphy, director of UNAIDS regional support teams for the Asia-Pacific region.

The absence of data on Indigenous gender-diverse communities, such as Māhūs and fa'afafine, in the South Pacific region further complicates the situation. Ratu Eroni, co-chair of ILGA Oceania, stated that this invisibilizes the existence of these communities, making it hard for governments to rationalize and support their socioeconomic needs.

The US funding freeze has also affected ILGA Oceania, which had to pause a decriminalisation project due to the aid freeze. The Netherlands, which is the fourth biggest funder of the Asia-Pacific region, has also announced plans to cut overseas development aid by more than two-thirds over the next three years.

The Asia-Pacific region received only 5% of global LGBTQ+ funding between 2021 and 2022, leaving a significant gap in support for vulnerable communities. The US State Department has stated that aid programs that do not serve U.S. interests will not continue, adding to the uncertainty surrounding future funding.

The US government has issued a waiver for life-saving HIV care and treatment, but this does not benefit all vulnerable LGBTQ+ communities. Only pregnant or breast-feeding women are allowed to receive preventative PrEP drugs under the waiver, leaving many at risk.

Joey Joleen Mataele, co-founder of the Tonga Leitis Association, which receives funding from the Global Fund and Outright International, stated that the loss of funds could lead to a return of stigmatization and blame for HIV and STIs. In Tonga, which has not recorded an HIV case since 2015, the loss of community-led organizations could see fresh cases emerge.

The situation is particularly dire in countries where colonial-era sodomy laws, criminalizing same-sex activity, still exist, such as Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu. The US funding freeze has not provided a waiver for all vulnerable LGBTQ+ communities to receive preventative PrEP drugs, leaving them at risk in these countries.

The rise in HIV infections in the Pacific, with Fiji declaring an outbreak in January, underscores the urgency of the situation. The DRL initiated a funding competition for up to $2 million for grassroots LGBTQ+ organizations in January 2024, but its future is uncertain. The loss of this potential funding could further exacerbate the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in the Pacific region.