An Associated Press social media post drew significant conservative criticism for its portrayal of transgender aid workers in Nepal turning to sex work after losing jobs due to U.S. foreign aid cuts. The controversy centered on the case for defunding USAID and sparked a heated response from several conservative figures.
Background of the AP Report
The AP reported that nearly 100 LGBTQ aid workers in Nepal had resorted to sex work after being left jobless due to cuts in U.S. funding. Nepal’s conservative culture contributes to limited employment opportunities for openly transgender individuals. The post focused on Rubi Lama, a former HIV outreach worker, who emphasized the benefits of USAID-funded programs, including free condoms, lubricants, and HIV prevention medication. These resources disappeared with the funding cuts.
“When USAID funding was there, condoms were free, lubricant was also distributed for free,” Lama shared in the video interview, adding that HIV treatments, including PrEP, were available without cost. “But now it is gone.”
Conservative Criticism
The framing of the issue sparked backlash among conservatives, who questioned the use of American taxpayer money for such programs. Several prominent voices criticized the AP report for allegedly endorsing financial support for these initiatives.
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, expressed relief that tax dollars were no longer supporting transgender sex workers in Nepal. “Our tax dollars no longer fund employment for transgender Nepalese sex workers,” he argued on X. “Thank you for reminding us why defunding USAID was long overdue.”
Daily Wire host Matt Walsh mocked the AP’s post, questioning whether the intended message was to create sympathy for the discontinued funding. He stated, “Wow, very grateful that my tax dollars are no longer funding a bunch of random trannies in Asia. Is that the point you were trying to make or did you expect us to be somehow sad about this?”
Broader Implications
The backlash came after President Donald Trump initiated a temporary halt on new foreign development assistance obligations, aiming to align these programs with his administration’s foreign policy goals. The review resulted in funding suspensions and cancellations of critical foreign-assistance awards.
Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway argued that the AP’s presentation of U.S. tax dollars for a “trans Nepalese job protection program” demonstrated misplaced priorities. “The AP announces that your hard-earned tax dollars were flowing to such a program, as if that was an even remotely good use of your money,” Hemingway posted on X. “AP is sick Democrat propaganda.”
Republican activist Jack Posobiec sarcastically remarked, “How dare Elon cut USAID funds to the Nepalese trans sex worker community.”
Alec Schemmel, who covered the story as Fox News Digital Politics Reporter, resides in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore Metro Area.
Leave a Reply