(NewsGlobal.com)- Last Thursday, the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor announced new $750,000 grants “to promote and protect Freedom of Expression (FoE) for vulnerable or marginalized populations.”
In its funding notice, titled “Ensuring Freedom of Expression for Vulnerable and Marginalized Populations Responding to Anti-Rights Efforts and Targeted Attacks,” the Bureau explains that the grants would be awarded to programs that “have strong support from and participation by lesbian and bisexual women, transgender and intersex individuals, and other gender diverse persons.”
Grant proposals must “include a strong gender analysis that looks at the unique needs of women and girls, including lesbian and bisexual women, as well as transgender, intersex, and other gender diverse and gender non-conforming persons, women of color, women with disabilities, and/or women who experience multiple and intersecting human rights violations and abuse.”
This is nothing new for the Biden State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor which consistently offers grant money to so-called “marginalized” groups.
In late December, the Bureau announced it was offering a $1.5 million grant through the Global Equality Fund (GEF) for “LGBTQI+” communities to advance goals that include empowering “local movements” and addressing “critical issues of justice.”
The GEF, which is managed by the State Department in conjunction with other governments, businesses, and foundations, is dedicated to “amplifying local LGBTQI+ voices and movements to catalyze positive change.” It was originally established under the Obama administration in 2011.
In FY2021, the Biden White House boasted that it increased its support for the GEF by $10 million annually. In June, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the GEF had disbursed $100 million in grants since its inception.
According to the State Department’s funding notice, competition for the grant is open to organizations that submit applications “for projects that have the goal to provide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) communities” with tools to “empower local movements and communities,” “prevent, mitigate, and recover from violence, discrimination, stigma, and human rights abuses,” promote “social inclusion,” or “address critical issues of justice.”
The State Department stipulates that projects that are awarded grants must be led by or must have strong support and participation from “LGBTQI+ organizations and communities.”
