Stonewall to cut staff following Trump’s USAID freeze: ‘Hard won rights are being rolled back’

UK LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall are undergoing an organisation-wide consultation that will see staff cut following the Trump administration’s recent crackdown on foreign aid.

A spokesperson for Stonewall told PinkNews that it cannot confirm the number of redundancies at this time. 

Several reports, based on information from insiders, have noted that Stonewall will be forced to cut “half of its staff” due to Trump’s decision to axe foreign aid support. 

At the beginning of February, Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is leading Trump’s drive to shrink the federal government, announced that work was underway to shut down the US foreign aid agency USAID.

The agency had been under siege since Trump came to power, with the Washington Post reporting that it had been: “whipsawed by aid freezes, personnel purges and confusion.” USAID employed 10,000 people.

Donald Trump has attacked the aid agency’s leadership saying they were a “bunch of radical lunatics.” Elon Musk took to X to describe the agency as “evil” and a “viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America.”

Musk also tweeted a baseless claim that USAID “funded bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people.” The Trump administration also falsely stated that USAID had “funded a transgender opera.”

Over the past three years, the US has provided Stonewall with more than half a million pounds of aid, as part of the Global Equality Fund. 

‘Stonewall is adapting’

A spokesperson for the charity told PinkNews: “Hard won rights are being rolled back for marginalised communities across the world and we are seeing an unprecedented political backlash against the principles of inclusion. Stonewall is adapting to ensure that it is fit for purpose and able to meet the challenges of this new political era. 

“Over the last 35+ years, Stonewall has often needed to be agile and adapt to a changing world, and now it is no different. We know that we must work differently to how we have previously, to be effective in the coming years – and we are future proofing with that in mind.  The work to advocate for LGBTQ+ equality has never been more important and Stonewall is rising to meet the challenge.” 

“Many charities in the UK are facing tough choices for a range of reasons, including the economic environment. Stonewall is no different.”

The news follows reports that the charity has been suffering financial issues. Stonewall’s annual report for 2023/2024 shows a deficit of more than £800,000, which it puts down to “challenging operating conditions.”

Founded in 1989 by a small group of gay and lesbian activists who were fighting against Margaret Thatcher’s homophobic Section 28 legislation, Stonewall started life at the home of gay actor Sir Ian McKellen.

It has a rich history of fighting for equality, but has been repeatedly targeted in recent years. In 2021, Scottish minister Patrick Harvie explained that Stonewall has been subjected to an “opportunistic hate campaign”.

Politicians and media have attacked its Diversity Champions programme, a relatively tame scheme that aims to make workplaces more LGBTQ+ friendly by advising employers on issues like parental leave for lesbian couples.

Since entering the White House, Trump has also ordered an end to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

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