Grants

U.S. Panel Grants are grants issued to U.S.-based lesbian, trans and LGBTI social change organizations and projects, including cultural and film/video projects. U.S. Panel Grants are determined by a diverse and committed activist Community Funding Panel.

Affinity Community Services (Chicago, IL) promotes visibility, empowerment and community-building by offering support groups, social justice forums, informal discussions and poetry nights by and for Black LBT women and youth. $7,000

Appalachian Women's Alliance (Floyd, VA) is a grassroots coalition of low-income and working-women organized in regional "circles" tackling economic injustice, violence against women, racism and homophobia. Grant is for support of the lesbian-led Willisburg Circle and regional organizing work. $3,000

Asian Women's Shelter (San Francisco, CA) for their program, Queer Asian Women's Services, which assists Asian women who are survivors of domestic violence by providing shelter, trainings, language advocacy, and a resource guide about same-gender violence. $5,000

Austin Latino/a Lesbian and Gay Organization (Austin, TX) runs Entre Ellas, a political and social wellness initiative for lesbian and bisexual women of color committed to progressive community organizing, advocacy for social change and the preservation and promotion of queer Latina/o art and culture. $7,000

Beyond Media (Chicago, IL) creates media that empower under-served lesbian, bisexual and questioning young women to tell their own stories, shape their own identities and organize for community change. Grant is for the young women's media empowerment workshop and video production with the Horizons Community Services' Youth Program. $7,000

Charis Circle (Atlanta, GA) expanded the community programs previously offered by Charis Books, a 27-year old feminist bookstore providing a feminist and lesbian space and sponsoring educational programs, writing and cultural events. $3,000

Christian Lesbians OUT (Athens, OH) is a network of out Christian lesbians working to support one another and mobilize Christian churches and organizations to challenge racism, sexism, heterosexism and other oppressions. Grant was for field organizing and a conference for women of color on AIDS, held at the University of Maryland in August 2002. $5,000

Circus Amok (Brooklyn, NY) offers free public circus-theatre addressing contemporary social justice issues. The group provides a visible lesbian activist presence and brings live theatre to diverse neighborhoods and underserved populations in New York City. Grant is for capacity building and the Summer Parks Tour 2002. $3,000

Disabled Women's Alliance (Albany, CA) is an all-volunteer organization led by lesbians with disabilities who create training films by and for disabled women. DWA publishes reports on issues facing disabled lesbians and initiates collaborative projects to improve the lives of women with disabilities. Grant was for the First Queer Disabilities Conference held in San Francisco in June of 2002. $5,000

Dyke TV (Brooklyn, NY) produces an award-winning television magazine and teaches video production and editing. Grant is for the On The Road Campaign, which introduced small cities, towns and rural communities to Dyke TV. During the campaign, Dyke TV staff conducted free video production workshops, screened episodes of the show and put cameras in the hands of activists to document their communities. $5,000

Empty the Shelters Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) is a network of young people- inclusive of LGBT activists- dedicated to ending poverty and oppression. Grant was for the Summer of Social Action 2002, an internship program for young activists to enhance their organizing skills. $4,000

Highways (Santa Monica, CA) develops and presents contemporary performance, dance and visual art, with significant emphasis on leadership from the LGBT community. Grant was for Ecce Lesbo/Ecce Homo, an LGBT festival of performances and panels held in July 2002. $3,000

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence (Santa Cruz, CA) is a national organization of radical feminists of color mobilizing to end all forms of violence against lesbians of color and all women by sponsoring major conferences, activist institutes and encouraging grassroots organizing. $5,000

Intersex Society of North America (Petaluma, CA) is a lesbian-led organization conducting community education and advocating for changes in policies regarding the medical and social management of intersex children-children born with anatomy or physiology which differs from cultural ideals of male and female. $3,000

Liquid Fire Productions (San Francisco, CA) promotes the growth and development of emerging lesbian artists of color and supports the creation and staging of new work. Grant is for the production of Liquid Fire VI. $5,000

Literary Exchange (Chicago, IL) addresses racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression through a variety of literary, social, and health related programs and events for girls, lesbians of color and other women. $3,000

MACHA Theatre Company (Valley Village, CA) for the stage production of Garbo's Cuban Lover. The play tells the story of Mercedes de Acosta, an out lesbian-Latina-Hollywood- playwright, who, during the 1930s had a closeted love affair of 29 years with Greta Garbo. $3,000

Milwaukee LGBT Community Center (Milwaukee, WI) improves the quality of life among LGBT people by providing office/meeting space, educational and cultural programs. Grant is for the Young Women's Leadership-Building Initiative. $5,000

Mujadarra Girls (San Francisco, CA) hosts Bint El Nas, a tri-annually produced Web-based magazine by and for queer, Arab-identified women. "Bint el Nas" means "Daughter of the People," and is used in Arab culture to describe a girl or woman of good standing. $8,000

MY LUCHA/(Minds Yearning Lives United through Community, History and Art) (Los Angeles, CA) for RECLAIMing the Hunger for Our Struggle, a theater project in South Central Los Angeles which works to fight homophobia, racism, sexism and classism. $5,000

The Network/La Red (Boston, MA) addresses domestic violence in relationships between women by educating communities about LBT battering and by providing direct services for battered LBT women. $3,000

North Carolina Lambda Youth Network (Durham, NC) helps young people develop as leaders and community organizers. The Network provides a space and affirmation for youth of different sexualities, genders, abilities, class backgrounds and races. Grant is for the Rainbow Youth Coalition, a group of youth, educators and community members striving to make schools and communities safe. $4,000

off our backs (Washington, DC) is the longest surviving feminist publication in the U.S. It sponsors internships, hosts listserves and monthly salons, and publishes a monthly news journal. $5,000

Old Lesbians Organizing For Change (Houston, TX) confronts and fights ageism in lesbian lives, communities, organizations and society as a whole. Grant was for the Third International Gathering By and For Old Lesbians held in Minneapolis in August 2002. $5,000

Rainbow Place: Nevada's Gay and Lesbian Community Center (Reno, NV) increases the local lesbian community's visibility and organizing capacity by hosting discussion groups, youth meetings, wellness projects, and maintaining a herstory archive. $7,000

SAGE/Queens (Astoria, NY) offers drop-in service and scheduled programming, as well as advocacy and organizing, for LGBT senior citizens. Grant is for Women in the Life, a program to reach, support and empower LBT seniors. $7,000

Sister Spit (San Francisco, CA) for the production of Displacement, a multimedia spoken word performance about gentrification, featuring original poems, monologues and short stories by five lesbian artists. $3,000

Sojourner Feminist Institute (Jamaica Plain, MA) is the publisher of Sojourner: The Women's Forum, a 25-year old national feminist and lesbian newspaper which addressed diverse issues within the progressive activist community. (Sojourner has temporarily ceased publication.) $5,000

Southerners on New Ground (Durham, NC) helps build the progressive movement by integrating work against racism, sexism and economic injustice into LGBT organizing, and integrating the struggle against homophobia into the broader freedom struggles in the South. $7,000

Taller Lesbico Creativo (San Juan, PR) is a lesbian collective that focuses on the lives, relationships, health, visibility and sexuality of Latina lesbians and bisexual women through popular theatre techniques and workshops. Issues addressed include domestic violence, addictive behaviors, sexuality, lesbophobia and colonization. $10,000

Theater Offensive (Boston, MA) presents theater and art that breaks through personal isolation and political orthodoxy to help build honest, progressive queer community. Grant is for Plays At Work, a series featuring the works of lesbian of color playwrights. $6,000

United Gays and Lesbians of Wyoming (Cheyenne, WY) supports out and questioning youth and adults in Wind River Country, via education, organizing, coalition-building and leadership development. $3,000

United Lesbians of African Heritage (Los Angeles, CA) empowers Black lesbians by providing seminars, workshops, conferences, and informational materials rooted in African American heritage and culture. $7,000

Vibrant Activist Grrls Invoking National Attention (San Diego, CA) creates visibility for the San Diego dyke community (women who identify as lesbian, trans, bi, queer) by organizing as a united front, demanding rights, and educating one another. Grant is for the Vagina Fest healthcare festival. $3,000

Women Playwrights Outreach Project (Los Angeles, CA) is dedicated to nurturing and developing the work of women playwrights in underserved communities. Grant is for fellowships for lesbian playwrights of color. $4,000

YWCA of the Coulee Region (La Crosse, WI) coordinates a local and statewide coalition of LGBTQ groups for young adults. Grant is for the Social Change Coalition, a newly formed multi-issue group working on ending all forms of oppression. $5,000

Zuna Institute (Oakland, CA) is a national advocacy organization for Black lesbians which addresses issues of health, public policy, economic development and education through national conferences and collaborations with other organizations. $7,000