Story Type: News and Media

Indigenous land is Indigenous heritage.

In the fight for Indigenous sovereignty, 2SLBTQI+, racial, gender, economic, and reproductive justice are all deeply interconnected. Through the Astraea Foundation’s U.S. Fund, we support Indigenous-led groups that seek to reclaim culture while stewarding land and its connection to the climate.

We are proud to collaborate with Ojibwe Two-Spirit graphic designer Neebinnaukzhik Southall for Native American Heritage Month. To learn more about their work, visit neebin.com and follow @neebinstudios ​​​​​​​on Instagram.

As we close out Native American Heritage Month in the United States and its claimed territories, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice would like to take a moment to reflect on the history of Thanksgiving and honor Indigenous communities that continue to shape and sustain our world today. While Thanksgiving is often associated with family gatherings and expressions of gratitude, we also recognize that for many Indigenous peoples, it is a reminder of on-going colonization, displacement, and loss. 

At the Astraea Foundation, we stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities and, as a U.S.-based remote organization, acknowledge that the land we occupy is the ancestral home of diverse Indigenous peoples, whose history, culture, and resistance have been vital in shaping the world we live in.  

In the fight for Indigenous sovereignty, 2SLBTQI+, racial, gender, economic, and reproductive justice are all deeply interconnected. Through the Astraea Foundation’s U.S. Fund, we support Indigenous-led groups that seek to reclaim culture while stewarding land and its connection to the climate. Indigenous land is Indigenous heritage, which is why our U.S. Fund supports the reclamation of Indigenous heritage and community building through closer relationships with land. 

As we take a brief pause for Thanksgiving break, we encourage everyone to reflect on ways to support Indigenous-led movements, recognize Indigenous land, and amplify Indigenous voices in our ongoing work for liberation. 

Statement from Executive Director, Joy Chia

In the face of my fears and grief for the inevitable upcoming chaos, I keep returning to the one thing that grounds all our work at the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice: community.

Wherever you are in the world, I hope you are able to rest and take care of yourselves and your loved ones today.

I woke up this morning with the results of the U.S. elections —and the long months of disinformation, hateful rhetoric, and violence—weighing heavily on my heart. I imagine that, like me, many of us are facing the day with great trepidation and dread – we don’t know what exactly lies ahead but instability, conflict, and unrest seem to be in the cards.

In the face of my fears and grief for the inevitable upcoming chaos, I keep returning to the one thing that grounds all our work at the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice: community.

I am filled with deep gratitude that every day I get to work at the Astraea Foundation, to work towards advancing justice for all, and moving resources to the most imperiled among us. I am proud that I lead a fund that is centered on our LGBTQI+ communities, and that our communities and our shared values will continue to ground our work even as authoritarianism thrives in fear and chaos. I take the dangers facing LGBTQI+ communities very seriously, and we are prepared. Now is the time for us to pool our energies and take action.

As a funder of LGBTQI+ communities in all regions of the world, the Astraea Foundation is keenly aware of the far-reaching impacts that this election will have and has already had. I also recognize that political repression is not new to LGBTQI+ activists and our communities. This isn’t our first time working in hostility and chaos, and we are ready to resist.

The Astraea Foundation will continue to work alongside grantees to build power and create sustainable change so that our communities can thrive. We will continue to push liberation forward, support our grantee partners, and hold true to our intersectional feminist values at every turn. The work we do every day is vital, and this difficult moment only strengthens our resolve to keep the fight moving forward.

I am deeply thankful for your steadfast support, dedication, and commitment to the Astraea Foundation’s mission. We will only get through the coming years together, and I’m ready to fight with you for progress, no matter what the future may bring.

With uncertainty and rising challenges ahead, we rely on you, our community, more than ever. Thank you for your support.  

In Solidarity,

Joy Chia

Executive Director

New Report on LGBTQI+ Organizing in Southwest Asia and North Africa

The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice supports research to facilitate connections between LGBTQI+ activists, funders, and community. Our publications take activist-identified priorities and regional contexts to support a better understanding of how to direct funding priorities in a specific area or context. In our new report, LGBTQI+ activists in the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region share the mounting challenges they face and offer key insights for donors and supporters. 

Insight and Perspectives for Donors, Funders, and Activists 

The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice supports research to facilitate connections between LGBTQI+ activists, funders, and community. Our publications take activist-identified priorities and regional contexts to support a better understanding of how to direct funding priorities in a specific area or context. In our new report, “Regional Analysis of LGBTQI+ Organizing in Southwest Asia and North Africa” researchers Nora Noralla and Lamyaâ Achary share the mounting challenges that activists face and offer key insights for donors and supporters. 

LGBTQI+ groups in the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region have been working on local, national, and regional levels, often navigating anti-LGBTQI+ sentiment and legal frameworks that outlaw their existence and activities. To better support this important work, Noralla and Achary engaged with 36 different organizations from seven countries in the SWANA region (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, and Kuwait). Drawing from the activists’ perspectives and analysis of the legal, social, religious, and political contexts, the research team compiled clear recommendations for donors operating in the SWANA region.

Read full report

As part of our commitment to language justice, condensed report findings are available as both Executive Summary and Highlights in English, Spanish, and French under Publications.

Thank you to the researchers, Nora Noralla and Lamyaâ Achary, the contributing activists and organizations, and our generous donors for making this research possible. 

Proud of Our Place in Queer History

In 1977, our founding mothers gathered around a kitchen table in New York City to start one of the first women’s foundations in the world.

As we reflect on LGBTQI+ History Month this October, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice is deeply proud of our place in queer history.  

In 1977, our founding mothers gathered around a kitchen table in New York City to start one of the first women’s foundations in the world. As a small group of progressive women, we started working to address the critical lack of funding for feminist organizing, specifically for lesbians and women of color. We began by making small grants to lesbian activists and artists from diverse cultural, racial, and class backgrounds who were organizing locally. Rooted in intersectional feminist values, our mission grew to encompass trans, intersex, and international struggles over the following decades. We are deeply thankful for the opportunity to contribute to LGBTQI+ liberation over the last 47 years. 

Today we continue to push queer history forward through our innovative grantmaking. We are deeply grateful to our founding mothers’ foresight and the global activists who continue to lead the way towards justice and liberation.

We are thrilled to have collaborated with artist Hannah Good to create this beautiful illustration. Please visit her website and follow her on social media @hannahgoodart to learn more.

Explore Our 2024 Report on LGBTQI+ Activism in Central Asia & the South Caucasus

As a global organization, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice regularly supports research into regional landscapes to encourage connection among LGBTQI+ activists and communities. Our 2024 report focuses on Central Asia & the South Caucasus, exploring the diverse approaches employed by activists and groups involved in LGBTQI+ advocacy and community mobilization. The findings emphasize the crucial role of LGBTQI+ organizing in the fight for liberation.

New Resource for Donors, Funders, and Activists 

As a global organization, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice regularly supports research into regional landscapes to encourage connection among LGBTQI+ activists and communities. To assess and describe the state of activist movements across Central Asia and the South Caucasus, four researcher-activists conducted ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews with 97 LGBTQI+ activists in seven countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.  

Mapping LGBTQI+ Activism in Central Asia & the South Caucasus explores the diverse approaches employed by activists and groups involved in LGBTQI+ advocacy and community mobilization. The findings emphasize the crucial role of LGBTQI+ organizing in the fight for liberation. They also provide insights into the challenges activists face in terms of registration, funding, relationships with donors, state, and other actors, as well as the impact of socio-political contexts on activism. 

Please click the links to view the Executive Summary and Highlights.

Thank you to the researchers, Milena Abrahamyan, Saltanat Shoshanova, Mohira Suyarkulova, and Nukri Tabidze, the contributing activists and organizations, and our generous donors for making this research possible. 

LGBTQI+ Movements Need Mental Wellness

As Mental Health Awareness Month begins, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice recognizes and honors the importance of holistic mental health for LGBTQI+ communities. Burnout and mental stress are far too common amongst LGBTQI+ activists, and we believe that putting funding into the proper hands helps alleviate that. 

As Mental Health Awareness Month begins, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice recognizes and honors the importance of holistic mental health for LGBTQI+ communities. Burnout and mental stress are far too common amongst LGBTQI+ activists, and we believe that putting funding into the proper hands helps alleviate that. 

The Astraea Foundation’s trust-based, feminist philanthropy and flexible funding create space for activists to be open and honest about their communities’ mental health needs. We are proud to support grantee partners who do mental health work for LGBTQI+ communities. For example, our grantee partners’ work in Latin America includes free legal and psychological counseling for gender-based violence survivors by Corporación Feminista Caribeñxs (Montería, Colombia), psychological support through mental health helplines by Aireana (Asunción, Paraguay), a safe house for women with disabilities by Mujeres con Capacidad de soñar a colores (Panajachel, Guatemala), and healing circles by Movimiento de Mujeres Unidas Diversas y Empoderadas (Palmira, Colombia). 

Individual health and the wellbeing of communities are deeply interconnected. Our movements are only as strong as the grassroots organizations and activists who propel them forward. We can only continue to work towards a more just future if we prioritize our mental health. 

Your support makes this work possible. 

 

Double Your Impact

The Astraea Foundation has received a generous matching grant for $100,000 from Groundswell. This year, every gift to the Astraea Foundation will be doubled up to a total of $100,000. 

 

The lovely illustration “Mental Health Sustains LGBTQI+ Movements,” seen above, was created in partnership with artist Sophie Kathleen. For more information, please visit their website and follow  @sophiekathleen on social media.

Lesbian Visibility Day: Lesbian and Loving It

The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice is proud to be a visibly lesbian organization. Our name is deeply intentional—we believe that prominently expressing lesbian identity is an act of resistance and reflection of our intersectional feminist values. 

The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice is proud to be a visibly lesbian organization. Our name is deeply intentional—we believe that prominently expressing lesbian identity is an act of resistance and reflection of our intersectional feminist values. 

The Astraea Foundation was one of the first women’s funds in the world, founded specifically to address the lack of funding for lesbians and women of color. When we began, it was impossible for a philanthropic organization to proudly center lesbians in its name. Yet, in 1990, we boldly came out by adding “lesbian” to our name.

As the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, we have remained true to our lesbian feminist vision – expanding to global support in 1996, launching the Intersex Human Rights Fund in 2015, and supporting LGBTQI+ groups in 37 countries across the world today in 2024. As a lesbian feminist organization, we center queer, trans and intersex communities, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and lesbian, bisexual, and queer women. 

Today, on International Lesbian Visibility Day we are proud to say that we will not be going back in the closet. The Astraea Foundation remains a lesbian foundation to honor our feminist roots, remain visible for those who cannot be, and celebrate queer joy every day. We’re lesbian and loving it.  

 

Double Your Impact

The Astraea Foundation has received a generous matching grant for $100,000 from Groundswell. This year, every gift to the Astraea Foundation will be doubled up to a total of $100,000. 

 

We are thrilled to have collaborated with artist Rosie Pink to create the beautiful illustration featured above, “Lesbian and Loving It.” Please visit their website and follow them on social media @hellorosiepink to learn more.

Out Now – 2023 Annual Report “Interwoven Communities”

We are excited to share our 2023 Annual Report, Interwoven Communities: The Fabric of LGBTQI+ Movements. This review of our work weaves together the many threads of our philanthropy over the past year and honors the interlinkages of LGBTQI+ activism.

We are excited to share our 2023 Annual Report, Interwoven Communities: The Fabric of LGBTQI+ Movements. This review of our work weaves together the many threads of our philanthropy over the past year and honors the interlinkages of LGBTQI+ activism.

 

Across borders, identities, and struggles, our lives and liberation are inextricably interconnected – even when the details of our lives are distinct. Our grantees form a worldwide network of freedom leaders, each one threading the needle of our mission. As philanthropy moves forward in acknowledgment of our intertwined struggles, our successes will create a safety net for generations to come.

 

Take a closer look at the fabric of our work as we bring together communities in service of our collective struggle.

 

Thank you to our supporters, donors, allies, and staff and board members for making this work possible.

 

Read and Download the Report.

 

Trans People Have Always Been Here!

Today the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice recognizes Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV). Two-Spirit, trans, and nonbinary people have existed across cultures and history. Trans visibility is many things. It is an act of resistance, a reflection of individual identity, or just who someone is. 

Today the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice recognizes Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV). Two-Spirit, trans, and nonbinary people have existed across cultures and history. Trans visibility is many things. It is an act of resistance, a reflection of individual identity, or just who someone is.

 

TDOV is a day to recognize that trans people have always existed and will continue to exist. It is a time to reaffirm that trans people have a place in media, culture, and public life. Across the diverse cultural contexts that the Astraea Foundation supports, we recognize that trans visibility means recognizing trans people’s agency. Trans people should be in control of their representation and narratives, and have a say in when, where, and how they are visible. While we understand that not every trans person can or wants to be visible, including those who remain invisible due to safety concerns, we remain firm in our advocacy for trans people around the world no matter what their personal visibility looks like.

 

Through our feminist philanthropy, the Astraea Foundation is committed to celebrating the lives of transgender people and empowering them to live authentically. In 2023, over a third of our grants supported trans and nonbinary-led organizing, and 100% of our trans and nonbinary U.S. funding was for groups led by and for BIPOC.

 

Beyond depictions based on violence, fear, or stereotypes, we honor trans visibility rooted in joy, resilience, and resistance.

 

This TDoV, we are proud to have collaborated with freelance artist and designer, Emulsify, to create this beautiful illustration. To learn more about their work, please visit @emulsify.art on Instagram.

Convening Activists and Strengthening Movements

This February, the Astraea Foundation held a 2024 Activist Convening: Central Asia & the South Caucasus in Tbilisi, Georgia for over 60 LGBTQI+ grantee partners and activists. Participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan gathered for this multi-day event, fostering an activist-centered-and-driven experience in a safe, caring, inclusive, and accessible space with live interpretation and translation.

Convening Activists and Strengthening Movements

Funding global grassroots movements is just one aspect of the fight for freedom. The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice regularly brings grantee partners together to build community, decrease burnout, and support leadership longevity. When activists and organizers have time to reflect, collaborate, and share strategies, our movements are stronger. Activist Convenings are uniquely co-designed with grantee partners and local LGBTQI+ organizers so they can share experiences, grow with one another, heal in community, and foster joy.

“It gives me power and inspiration [being] here, and I’m very grateful and happy to see how different movements, for example, transgender movements and feminism movements, are coming together and work in cohesion and coherence with each other.” – Trans activist on the Activist Convening in Tblisi

This February, the Astraea Foundation held a 2024 Activist Convening: Central Asia & the South Caucasus in Tbilisi, Georgia for over 60 LGBTQI+ grantee partners and activists. Participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan gathered for this multi-day event, fostering an activist-centered-and-driven experience in a safe, caring, inclusive, and accessible space with live interpretation and translation.

A heartfelt thanks goes to our partners, Association for Progressive Communications and Women’s Fund in Georgia, for their support and leadership in bringing this convening to life, as well as the activist advisory board, team of facilitators, language and healing justice practitioners, participants, and supporters who help make transformative events like this possible.

The Astraea Foundation looks forward to future participatory, activist-led convenings in service of queer healing, strategy sharing, and our collective liberation. 

(Graphic by Salome Zhvania)