PEPFAR Weaponized to Advance Abortion, LGBT Agenda in Africa
Trump-era reforms seek to restore focus on health, not ideology, amid celebrity outcry
WASHINGTON DC — A growing controversy has erupted over the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), as critics charge that the once life-saving initiative has been co-opted to promote abortion, LGBT ideology, and political activism abroad—particularly in Africa.
Launched in 2003 under President George W. Bush, PEPFAR was hailed as the largest U.S. government initiative to combat a single disease, credited with saving 25 million lives. But according to conservative watchdogs like the Family Research Council (FRC), the original focus on abstinence, fidelity, and treatment has since been replaced with “woke” programming under Democratic administrations.
During Barack Obama’s presidency, safeguards against funding unethical organizations were relaxed, allowing groups that promoted or facilitated prostitution and sex trafficking to qualify for U.S. taxpayer dollars. “It was an ironic twist,” said FRC’s Arielle Del Turco, “since those industries were fueling the very HIV crisis PEPFAR was created to fight.”
“PEPFAR is no longer about saving lives,” said FRC’s Arielle Del Turco. “It’s being used as a tool to push radical social agendas that undermine local cultures and pro-life laws.”
Del Turco pointed to the Biden administration’s 2022 document Reimagining PEPFAR’s Strategic Direction, which promotes abortion and LGBTQ+ advocacy as “essential” to HIV response efforts. African church leaders have expressed alarm. In a 2023 letter to Congress, dozens warned that PEPFAR now supports “practices, including abortion, that violate our core beliefs.”
President Trump’s administration responded by proposing a $400 million rescission—less than 5% of PEPFAR’s budget—to cut funding for what it deemed ideological programs that “neither provide life-saving treatment nor support American interests.”
Despite bipartisan past support, the modest reform sparked outrage from celebrities and activists. Amy Grant and Bono urged Congress to restore full funding, while evangelical leaders like Russell Moore criticized Republicans for “destroying one of the most effective and successful moral reforms” supported by Protestants.
But supporters of the reforms argue that African nations deserve more respect. “We are undermining their ability to care for themselves,” said Del Turco, noting that South Africa, PEPFAR’s largest recipient, said the proposed cut would not collapse the program.
“The backlash is being driven by the foreign aid industry,” added Max Primorac in The Hill, noting that over 98% of political donations from PEPFAR-linked groups go to Democrats.
Republicans argue that the reforms are about accountability, not abandonment: “This isn’t a cut—it’s a correction,” FRC President Tony Perkins said. “And it’s exactly what many Africans have asked for.”
