US Foreign Aid Agency Defends Political Appointees Who Wrote Anti-LGBT, Anti-Islam Posts

The statement from acting administrator John Barsa comes after ProPublica reported that Merritt Corrigan, who has condemned the “tyrannical LGBT agenda,” was appointed as USAID’s new deputy White House liaison.
Humanitarian supplies sent by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) wait at the Tienditas International Bridge in the border city of Cucuta, Colombia on February 21, 2019. (Photo by Lokman Ilhan/Anad... Humanitarian supplies sent by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) wait at the Tienditas International Bridge in the border city of Cucuta, Colombia on February 21, 2019. (Photo by Lokman Ilhan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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This story first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

The top official at the U.S. foreign aid agency defended three political appointees whose past social media posts and writings include attacks on LGBT people and Muslims, saying they were “committed to enacting the policies of President Donald J. Trump.”

ProPublica reported on Friday that Merritt Corrigan had recently taken up a prominent position at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Corrigan has a history of online posts denouncing liberal democracy and feminism, and she has said the United States is in the clutches of a “homo-empire” pushing a “tyrannical LGBT agenda.”

News of Corrigan’s appointment as deputy White House liaison sparked outrage among current and former USAID officials, as well as congressional inquiries and an online petition calling for her firing.

In addition, ProPublica reported that Bethany Kozma, previously an anti-transgender activist who wrote in 2016 that transgender girls are boys “claiming gender confusion,” had taken a new position as USAID’s deputy chief of staff. And The Washington Post reported last month that Mark Kevin Lloyd, a Tea Party activist with a history of making and sharing anti-Islamic comments on his personal social media profiles, would be the agency’s new religious freedom adviser.

In a statement issued late on Monday, Barsa condemned what he called “unwarranted and malicious attacks” on the three officials, while also making clear they had been chosen by the White House.

“Political appointees are appointed at the discretion of the White House to carry out the President’s foreign policy agenda at USAID,” Barsa said. “USAID is honored to have Bethany Kozma, Merritt Corrigan, and Mark Lloyd serve at the agency. They are committed to enacting the policies of President Donald J. Trump.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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  1. Avatar for caltg caltg says:

    The top official at the U.S. foreign aid agency defended three political appointees whose past social media posts and writings include attacks on LGBT people and Muslims, saying they were “committed to enacting the policies of President Donald J. Trump.”

    The top official at the U.S. foreign aid agency defended three political appointees whose past social media posts and writings include attacks on LGBT people and Muslims, saying they were “committed to enacting the policies of President Fascist Pig Donald J. Trump.”

    FIFY

  2. That about sums it up.

  3. Read between the lines of that U.S. foreign aid agency statement.

    It basically admits: “Yes, these are despicable people, with despicable viewpoints, but that is what the Orange ShitGibbon wants so we have no choice.”

  4. What an embarrassment for the nation…it’s going to be a long time before other nations trust anything the US has to say, with people like this pushing our (yes, it’s ours from a foreign perspective) agenda overseas I’d be offended. And, the idea of a “religious freedom adviser” is even more horrific when you consider that role is solely meant to push Christianity abroad, not what the 1st Amendment is actually about.

    Every day, I look forward to the end of the Trump administration…it will take time to clean up the mess but just living under this regime and all its evil is stressful.

  5. Obviously (de)Merritt Corrigan is as queer as a chocolate frog. What is she so afraid of? That gay men will flood the dykes? That gay me will turn her gay? Or, that straight men will turn gay once they see reject her on the merritts. Funny the name is Irish. And we know Ireland has a gay tsoiseach (Prime Minister) and that same sex marriage was approved in the republic overwhelmingly. Perhaps she’s one of those disgraced nuns from the 'laundries." She may out of the habit but bigotry is still her habit.

    Or perhaps she’s Betsy DeVos’ secret girlfriend? A homo Empire? Really. Well, I’m sure someone can lick her.

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