UK LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall is undergoing an organisation-wide consultation that will result in staff cuts following the Trump administration’s decision to freeze foreign aid funding.
A spokesperson for Stonewall told PinkNews that the number of redundancies has not yet been confirmed. However, multiple reports citing insider sources suggest that the charity may have to cut as much as half of its workforce due to the loss of US funding.
At the start of February, Elon Musk, who leads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), announced that work had begun to shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The federal agency, which employed 10,000 people, has faced significant challenges since Trump first took office, including funding freezes and staff reductions.
Trump has criticised the agency’s leadership, calling them a “bunch of radical lunatics,” while Musk has described USAID as “evil” and a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.” Musk also made an unfounded claim that the agency had funded “bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people.” Additionally, the Trump administration falsely alleged that USAID had financed a “transgender opera.”
Over the past three years, Stonewall has received more than £500,000 from the US as part of the Global Equality Fund, funding that will now be lost due to the USAID shutdown.
‘Stonewall Is Adapting’
“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,” explained a Stonewall spokesperson to PinkNews
They added that the charity has always had to adapt to changing circumstances and that it is now “future-proofing” to ensure it remains effective in the years ahead.
“The work to advocate for LGBTQ+ equality has never been more important, and Stonewall is rising to meet the challenge.”
The organisation acknowledged that many UK charities are currently facing difficult financial decisions due to the broader economic climate.
Financial Challenges and Political Attacks
Reports indicate that Stonewall has been experiencing financial difficulties. The charity’s 2023/2024 annual report reveals a deficit of over £800,000, attributed to “challenging operating conditions.”
Stonewall was founded in 1989 by activists opposing Margaret Thatcher’s anti-LGBTQ+ Section 28 legislation. The charity, which was initially based at the home of gay actor Sir Ian McKellen, has a long history of advocating for equality. However, it has faced increasing political opposition in recent years.
In 2021, Scottish minister Patrick Harvie said that Stonewall had become the target of an “opportunistic hate campaign.” The organisation’s Diversity Champions programme—which advises employers on LGBTQ+ inclusion—has been particularly scrutinised by politicians and media figures.
