The Trump administration has disclosed details on how the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has allocated funds for various international projects, including a $7.9 million initiative in Sri Lanka aimed at training journalists on the use of gender-neutral language. The information was made public by Elon Musk through a document shared on social media.
According to the document, this funding was designated to help Sri Lankan journalists avoid ‘binary-gender language’, which involves promoting the use of gender-neutral pronouns, such as ‘they’ instead of ‘he’ or ‘she’, in written and spoken communication.
The revelation is part of a broader critique of USAID funding by Musk, who serves as a top adviser in the Trump administration. He has publicly criticized what he calls wasteful spending of American taxpayer money, highlighting USAID’s financial contributions to various LGBT initiatives worldwide.
The documents further reveal that USAID has allocated millions of dollars to support LGBT-related programs in different countries, including:
- $2 million for gender diversity and LGBT activities in Guatemala
- $1.1 million to an Armenian LGBT group
- $1.5 million to promote LGBT advocacy in Jamaica
- $2 million to support LGBT entrepreneurship in Latin America
- $3.9 million for LGBT causes in the Western Balkans
- $5.5 million for LGBT programs in Uganda
- $6 million to advance LGBT issues in priority countries worldwide
- $6.3 million for LGBT initiatives in South Africa
These funding allocations have sparked significant controversy, particularly as Donald Trump has sought to distance the US government from international LGBT advocacy programs. The release of these documents by Musk has fueled discussions on US foreign aid spending priorities, with critics questioning the necessity of such programs amid domestic economic concerns.
