The US Christian Right’s Spending Boom in Africa to Fight LGBTQ Rights

US Christian Right groups, known for opposing LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, have significantly increased their spending in Africa since 2019, according to new data from the Institute for Journalism and Social Change (IJSC).

This funding is believed to support conservative organisations and initiatives aimed at blocking abortion and LGBTQ+ rights across the continent.

The report, Following the Money: Inside the US Christian Right’s Spending Boom in Africa, reveals that 17 ‘anti-rights’ and ‘anti-gender’ groups increased their annual spending in Africa by about 50% between 2019 and 2022, the most recent year with comprehensive financial records.

This surge in funding coincided with intense challenges to abortion rights in the US, including the Supreme Court case that began in 2021 and culminated in 2022 with the overturning of Roe v Wade.

The report estimates that since 2007, these organisations have spent over $70 million in Africa. Previous research by openDemocracy reported that $54 million was spent by these groups in Africa between 2007 and 2018.

The highly secretive Fellowship Foundation, which focuses on evangelising and liaising with politicians, accounted for around half of the total African spending by these groups in recent years.

According to The New York Times, Ugandan politician David Bahati credited discussions with Fellowship members as the inspiration behind his country’s original Anti-Homosexuality Bill in 2009.

Notably, three of the 17 groups are members of the Advisory Board of Project 2025, an initiative aiming to reshape the US federal government with centralised presidential powers based on conservative policies, should Donald Trump win the 2024 presidential election.

Among these groups is the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), known for legal battles against sexual and reproductive rights.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has documented that ADF has supported efforts to recriminalise consensual sexual acts between LGBTQ adults in the US and abroad, defended state-mandated sterilisation of trans people, and claimed that LGBTQ individuals are more prone to paedophilia.

The report’s findings are based on IRS 990 forms filed by US-registered non-profits, publicly available online. However, these filings provide limited information about where and how funds were allocated within specific African countries.

The increase in funding by US Christian Right groups poses a significant threat to the advancement of LGBTQ rights across Africa. As these groups channel millions into campaigns and partnerships aimed at entrenching anti-LGBTQ and anti-reproductive rights policies, they amplify conservative and often discriminatory narratives.

This financial backing could bolster harmful legislation, increase social stigma, and embolden local leaders to pursue policies that endanger the safety, dignity, and rights of LGBTQ Africans. Without countermeasures and greater support for local advocates and inclusive policies, these influences may hinder decades of progress on human rights and equality across the continent.