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Jessica Stern Urges Canada to Expand LGBTQ+ Aid Abroad

Stern says a $20 million annual aid boost would help Canada fill a global gap in LGBTQ+ rights support.

  • At the Ottawa Civic Space Summit on Wednesday, former U.S. special envoy Jessica Stern urged Canada to expand international support for LGBTQ+ people, arguing the country can "demonstrate leadership" to fill a policy vacuum.
  • President Donald Trump dismantled the $40 billion U.S. Agency for International Development and erased internal government records on LGBTQ+ issues, cutting millions of people with HIV from access to lifesaving drugs.
  • Steve Letsike, South Africa's junior minister for women, youth and disabled people, warned that a well-resourced transnational movement is eroding human rights; Uganda's law now makes certain sexual acts punishable by death.
  • The Dignity Network, a coalition of Canadian groups advocating for gender and sexual minorities abroad, has called on Ottawa to double its annual foreign aid envelope for LGBTQ+ people to $20 million.
  • Stern and Letsike argued that defending LGBTQ+ rights prevents global instability and builds productive economies. "Countering discrimination and violence is good business," Stern said, noting employees thrive when safe at work.
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Winnipeg Free PressWinnipeg Free Press
+25 Reposted by 25 other sources
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Canada called on to fill 'vacuum' in LGBTQ+ advocacy worldwide in face of Trump cuts

Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada

·Winnipeg, Canada
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Winnipeg Free Press broke the news in Winnipeg, Canada on Friday, April 24, 2026.
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