Backlash Over Transgender Aid Workers in Nepal Post Foreign Aid Cuts

Fox News recently reported on an Associated Press social media post that sparked conservative backlash. The post addressed the plight of transgender aid workers in Nepal who turned to sex work following U.S. foreign aid cuts. Critics argue that the report unintentionally made a case for defunding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) rather than advocating its preservation.

The Associated Press highlighted that Nepal’s conservative culture offers few legal job opportunities for openly transgender individuals. It stated that roughly 100 LGBTQ aid workers became jobless due to the reduction in U.S. funding, forcing some into sex work to make ends meet. The video accompanying the post featured Rubi Lama, a former HIV outreach worker. Lama noted that USAID-funded programs previously supplied free condoms, lubricant, and HIV-prevention medications, such as PrEP. “When USAID funding was there, condoms were free, lubricant was also distributed… for free,” Lama said. “But, now it is gone.”

Conservative figures quickly criticized the story. They questioned the initial funding of these programs by American taxpayers. Within this debate, an image of the USAID flag in Washington was displayed. Representative Brandon Gill from Texas pointed out that U.S. tax dollars no longer finance employment for transgender Nepalese sex workers. He expressed this view on X, thanking the defunding of such initiatives.

Comments also came from Matt Walsh, a Daily Wire host, who sarcastically stated his relief over the cessation of funds for transgender individuals in Asia. This reflects a wider sentiment among conservatives about financial responsibility concerning international aid.

The controversy follows initiatives during Donald Trump’s administration. Upon reentering office, he initiated a 90-day pause on new foreign development assistance while assessing their alignment with his policies. This pause led USAID to halt new funding obligations and existing award activities, provoking further debate over the administration’s foreign policy directions.

Mollie Hemingway, Federalist editor-in-chief, criticized the media’s focus, suggesting priorities were misplaced. She accused the Associated Press of misleadingly promoting U.S. funding for a transgender job protection scheme in Nepal as a sensible investment. Her view aligns with others questioning the allocation of taxpayer money towards such programs.

Republican activist Jack Posobiec echoed similar sentiments, decrying perceived injustices in cutting funds to Nepal’s transgender sex worker community. The ensuing discussions highlight division over the role of U.S. foreign aid and its impacts.