By: Josh Azevedo
Desirée Cormier Smith Quoted
Read in: Gayety
The Trump administration’s recent expansion of the Mexico City policy, long known as the “global gag rule” for abortion funding, is now reaching further than ever, blocking U.S. foreign aid tied to racial equity, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Experts warn this shift could have devastating consequences for public health, human rights, and the U.S.’s global credibility.
Desirée Cormier Smith, former U.S. Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice at the State Department and now co-founder of the Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice, says the move is unprecedented.
“Never before has U.S. foreign aid explicitly restricted programs promoting racial equity, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ inclusion,” Cormier Smith said. “This is a sharp break from decades of policy that recognized human rights and DEI work as integral to effective diplomacy.”
Citing long-standing U.S. foreign policy, Cormier Smith explains that previous administrations saw DEI and human rights initiatives as tools to build trust with allies and strengthen democratic institutions.
“U.S. credibility abroad relied on consistent support for universal human rights,” she said. “By suddenly pulling these levers, we signal that American leadership on justice and equality is negotiable.”
The policy now affects international organizations, U.S.-based NGOs, and foreign governments, raising practical challenges. Programs on the ground could lose critical funding, leaving vulnerable populations without services.
“You can’t treat DEI initiatives as abstract principles,” Cormier Smith said. “When funding stops, safe clinics close, trained staff leave, and entire communities lose access to essential services overnight.”
Victoria Kirby York, director of public policy and programs at the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC), described how the policy directly threatens Black LGBTQ+ and same-gender-loving communities overseas, particularly in Africa.
“HIV prevention and treatment are deeply tied to inclusive funding,” York said. “Safe spaces for testing, PrEP distribution, and community support disappear if programs can’t explicitly serve LGBTQ+ people.”
York highlighted the stakes: programs funded by the U.S. often provide discreet HIV services, peer navigators, and gender-affirming care. Removing funding can disrupt medication adherence, reduce trust in health systems, and increase HIV transmission.
“In regions where same-gender relationships are criminalized, U.S.-backed programs have been lifelines,” she said. “Peer navigators helped young Black LGBTQ+ people access treatment safely. Without that, people disappear from care.”
The ripple effect of silencing LGBTQ+ programming goes beyond health. York said it emboldens state-sanctioned discrimination and violence.
“When the U.S. excludes LGBTQ+ people from aid, it sends a green light to governments already hostile to our communities,” she said. “The consequences are literal—people die.”
Both experts point to a historical pattern of global anti-Blackness and colonial-era laws criminalizing gender and sexual diversity. U.S. restrictions now risk reinforcing those structures.
“Black LGBTQ+ people abroad are squeezed from both sides—colonial laws on one end, and conditional aid on the other,” York said. “Inclusive funding isn’t charity; it’s survival.”
Cormier Smith added that Americans often fail to grasp how deeply global aid policies affect real lives. “People abroad don’t get to protest clinic closures or halted HIV programs—they just experience the consequences.”
As Black History Month and National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day are observed in the U.S., both Cormier Smith and York stress that Americans must recognize their collective responsibility.
“Inclusive global health policy saves lives, stabilizes communities, and prevents disease,” York said. “Beyond public health, it’s a matter of solidarity. LGBTQ+ Americans can be loud; for many abroad, that voice can be life-saving.”
© 2025 Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice.