Far-right political parties and wealthy donors are steadily allying with mainstream foundations to fund extreme anti-gender-rights initiatives across Europe, according to a new study by the European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF).

The study connects the dots between some of Europe’s most high-profile anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion campaigns of the past decade and funding from international oligarchs, aristocrats, and religious organizations.

EPF found that over $700 million in funding to the European groups in over a dozen countries came from just 54 organizations in America, Russia and the European Union between 2009-2018. Over half of that came from organizations and figures in the EU. While previous reports have cataloged the funding streams of American entities, including the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Charles Koch Foundation, in this arena across Europe, the extent of EU-grown funding was previously unknown. 

“We're at the beginning stage where European anti-gender groups are going to internationalize in the way that American groups have done for a decade or so,” said Neil Datta, Secretary of the European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights.