With news about Musk’s DOGE cutting government waste, and the many programs on which USAID was spending taxpayer money, it is worth highlighting that this organization, while prominent, is not the only source of such spending. The International Republican Institute (IRI), an organisation closely tied to America’s Republican Party, has been exposed for using taxpayer money to fund causes abroad that its members actively decry at home. A document titled “Promoting Accountability, Inclusivity, and Resiliency Support Program” (PAIRS), detailing IRI projects in Bangladesh between March 1, 2019 – December 31, 2020, provides details of everything from transgender dance performances to “Diversity Circles.” The IRI engaged 1,868 participants during the period in question, of whom 24% identified as transgender—a quite extreme overrepresentation, given that transgender people constitute less than 1% of Bangladesh’s population, according to a 2022 census.
From the document itself: “IRI issued 11 advocacy grants to artists, musicians, performers or organizations…supported three civil society organizations (CSOs) from LGBTI, Bihari and ethnic communities to train activists…” and “In addition, IRI identified marginalized communities—specifically Biharis, plainland ethnic groups and LGBTI people—as non-threatening beneficiaries…Through the approaches, IRI’s program raised public awareness on social and political issues in Bangladesh and supported the public to challenge the status quo, which ultimately aims for power shift inside Bangladesh.” The IRI’s cultural and advocacy efforts in Bangladesh were, apparently, prolific, financing an array of projects and groups with a view to harnessing marginalized communities as levers for political goals (“power shift inside Bangladesh”).
This exposes hypocrisy within the Republican Party, with the IRI’s leadership includes such Republican luminaries as Senator Dan Sullivan, a staunch opponent of same-sex marriage and transgender rights, as well as Mitt Romney and Trump supported Tom Cotton. But, as Wyatt Reed writes, covering the story for the Greyzone: “While the emphasis on transgender issues may fly in the face of the GOP’s publicly-professed values, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that Republican leaders have secretly shifted their attitude towards the immutability of gender.” Thus did Mike Benz, former U.S. Department of State, note in a recent interview, this is less about ideology than about “tactical wokeness,” where progressive causes serve as geopolitical tools to destabilize countries.
Whereas USAID is being cut as part of the Trump Whitehouse’s push against ideologically-driven and wasteful foreign policy projects, it is worth remembering that even beyond USAID, the US government has developed multiple organs through which to spend public money on so-called “woke” initiatives.
