The Human(ity) Toll of Marco Rubio’s Foreign Aid Cuts

Back in January, Marco Rubio, the new Secretary of State, issued an order to suspend almost all foreign aid.

That didn’t go over well with the rest of the world.

So, Rubio issued a waiver for “life-saving humanitarian assistance,” to include “core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs.”

Ok, that reflects a basic sense of humanity. What a nice guy.

But wait.

The waiver issued then specified that it does not apply to “activities that involve abortions, family planning conferences … gender or DEl ideology programs, transgender surgeries, or other non-life saving assistance.” It noted that “Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) may only be used to support activities” that fall under the category of life-saving humanitarian assistance “and for repatriation of third country nationals to their country of origin or safe-third-country.”

I mean, this is some Handmaid’s Tale shit.

Where do you even start when they attack women, migrants and the transgender population all at once?

I’ll start with the attack on transgender care as being defined as “non-life saving assistance.” Here we go:

Just imagine for a few minutes that you were born with male genitalia but you felt like a girl. As a toddler you craved to wear princess dresses and imagined yourself with flowing hair and fancy jewelry and delicate features. Imagine that as you grow up, you are courageous enough to tell your friends and family that you are actually a female and shudder at the thought of your body developing masculine features. You live in this beautiful world of acceptance and hope until your body starts to betray you.

Imagine that at 11 years old, you start seeing your body morph without your permission into something that feels wrong —It feels so wrong at your core that it makes everything in life feel wrong. Imagine that the thought of facial hair and large muscular features is a revolting concept when all you want is soft curves and budding breasts. You want that so much that you would give anything to have it because it is more than a want: It is a need. It is a deep need to look like the human you feel that you are on the inside. It is such a deep need that it overshadows everything else in your world. What is the point of existing if you can’t be true to yourself?

But wait. There is medicine that can help you look like your true self? There are simple surgeries that can help you feel like you belong in your body? Wow, what an amazing thing to have available to you—something that can actually tip the scale in making this life worth living. What a relief and a bright silver lining in a world that was feeling so dark and heavy. What a relief that there are options for someone like you. The sky starts to open up, and you see the heavens parting while you work towards the future instead of feeling frozen in time. You start to show your gifts to the world and think about ways to help others going through that dark time that you experienced. You are so grateful for these resources available to you that just saved your life.

Wow! What a wonderful world you live in.

Oh wait—just kidding—Now these resources don’t exist because Rubio and Trump said they can’t. Just like that.

I guess you are now expected to just figure it out and “live with it.” Good Luck.

You will need that luck considering that the research shows that 50% of transgender people given this directive will just opt out … of life. They will try to opt out of life because living in a body that does not reflect their truth is so painful that they question whether it is worth living at all.

But I guess that those resources aren’t lifesaving simply because Rubio and Trump say they aren’t.

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Carmen Sample, LCSW, LAC
Owner and Founder
(She/Her/Hers)

“I founded Sample Supports in 2010 with the belief that every single person deserves a place in the community. As a social entrepreneur, clinician, and former host home provider, I am incredibly proud of what we have created at Sample Supports. Our mission is to provide the highest quality support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including residential services, day programs, employment services, and more. Our comprehensive approach ensures that the people we serve have access to a wide range of services within the same agency.

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