Join Astraea for an Evening in Philly…

Join us in Philadelphia for a cocktail party to support LGBTQI movements for justice worldwide!

This event is now over. To view additional photos from this event, visit our Facebook album. To learn about more ways to get involved with Astraea in your city, visit the Events and Action section of our website.

Join us in Philadelphia for a cocktail party to support LGBTQI movements for justice worldwide!

The Astraea Foundation for Justice, together with Carre d’artistes Philadelphia, is hosting a gathering on Thursday, January 19, 2017, from 5:00-7:00 pm, and we want to see you there! Come hear Director of Programs, Sarah Gunther, and others share about how we can build community in light of the current political climate and learn about Astraea’s work, priorities, and strategies as we lean into 2017. Together we can ensure that the LGBTQI communities around the world are best positioned to respond to the changing landscape. Light refreshments will be served.

Warmly,

The Philly Host Committee

(in formation as of 01/07/2016)

Ezra Nepon Berkeley

Christopher Harris

Rakia Reynolds

Arun Prabakaran

Charlene and Jameka Smith

Greg Storella

Lindsay Wetmore-Arkader

 

Pat Ewert

“What makes Astraea different than the other organizations that I’m involved with and that I give my money to is that they have a global reach.”

How long have you been an Astraea donor; why?

I’ve been a donor to Astraea for a little over two years. What makes Astraea different than the other organizations that I’m involved with and that I give my money to is that they have a global reach. I don’t have the desire, the ability, or the knowledge to be able to find good organizations and vet them appropriately. Finding a foundation that’ll do those things for me and be sure that the money gets into the right hands is very important. It just increases my reach. It makes me feel like I’m really doing something not just in Chicago, but around the world.

What are some notable moments or memories in your, and Astraea’s combined history?

My relationship with Astraea is, of course, watching what they do and who the grantees are, but importantly to me too are the people that are in charge. I keep in touch with Bob and always know what’s going on with Astraea, its mission, and its goals.

What advice would you give to people thinking about philanthropy and LGBTQI philanthropy specifically?

Be sure that the organization that you go to understands our community, that they have a history, that they’ve got staying power, that they have a reach, and that they’re very specific in our community. It’s very important to me that it’s specific in our community.

My wife was an activist in the community for over 40 years. When she returned from Woodstock she started the first LGBT newspaper and hotline. When we got together she started educating me about the community and sharing her vast experiences. I know that she was very impressed with the work that Astraea does. We were very aware of what goes on in Chicago, but to know that we have a philanthropic partner that we could count on to take care of the rest of our giving, made she and I very confident.

How is it that you use philanthropy and activism to honor her legacy and what she’d wanna see happening in the world?

Well, you have to kind of put your money where your mouth is. I don’t have the time, the energy, or the expertise to do a lot of the things that are necessary in our community, to really make a difference. So, being wise where you put your dollars is very important. I’m not the one that gets out and marches so much anymore. I’m not the one that comes up with all these wonderful ideas about how to do things to support our community, but I have to be the one that supports the people that do that.

Fawzia Mirza

Fawzia Mirza uses performance, personal storytelling, and comedy to break down stereotypes across a multiplicity of identities: race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender.

Tell us a bit about yourself: What’s your name? Where do you call home? How do you identify?

My name is Fawzia Mirza. Chicago is home. Los Angeles can be home. Asheville, NC can also be home. I identify as a Pakistani, Muslim, woman, queer and lesbian human.

How did you learn about Astraea?

I first heard about Astraea six years ago when I started connecting to the Chicago grants community while producing the documentary Fish Out of Water.

We’re thrilled that you became an Astraea donor earlier this year. Can you tell us something that contributed to your decision to financially support our efforts?

As an artist and a queer person, I have had to overcome a lot of creative, community, and financial hurdles to get to a place where I could grasp my identity, create my work, and harness my voice. When I got to a place where I have gotten stable and I received an artist grant from a Chicago organization, 3 Arts, it felt time to give back and support other groups doing work I admire.

You’re a writer and performer, who also has a background in law––we loved your in work Jen Richards’ Her Story. Kudos on the Emmy nod! What are you currently working on? How have parts of your identity, shaped your work?

I loved working on Her Story, it was beautiful creatively, changed my life, and gave me a group of friends I adore. I just finished filming my first feature film, Signature Move, which I co-wrote, -produced and am starring in. It will be world premiering at film festivals in 2017. The film was a Tribeca Film Institute All Access Fellow and received the Tribeca/Labodigital/Los Cabos Film Festival post production grant. We’re screening a rough cut in Mexico in November of the film as part of the grant! I have a short documentary, The Streets Are Ours: Two Lives Cross In Karachi, in post-production. You can see screenings of my newest short comedic film, Spunkle, all over the country including Reeling and Chicago South Asian in Chicago.

Coming out stories surrounding gender and sexuality are par for the LGBTQI course. At Astraea, we’re always interested in an additional type of ‘coming out’ narrative–those ‘lightbulb’ moments when a person becomes aware of the need for change, and their capacity to affect it.

I was performing my one woman show Me, My Mom & Sharmila in Pakistan last year. It was overall a life-changing experience for me. And I often either suffer from imposter syndrome or wonder, ‘Does anyone hear me?’ or ‘Does this matter?’ A young Pakistani woman who’d seen my show found me on Facebook and sent me a message. She said she came up to me after the show but was too scared to talk to me because if she opened her mouth she might cry; that she had been confused about her identity and her feelings her whole life, that seeing me on stage made her feel less crazy and less alone. She said she didn’t think she could talk to anyone about this. And that this was the first time she’d admitted it. And that she was coming out to me. That moment solidified in my mind why I do this work, that there is great capacity for change, even if for one human being.

Do you find that art and activism are intricately connected in your own life? If so, how?

YES! I call it ARTivism. There’s great power and awesomeness in art, comedy and storytelling as a way to reach people. Comedy is powerful in breaking down stereotypes across race, gender, sexual orientation, class, religion. I mean, if you can laugh with someone, the opportunity for connection and conversation is that much greater.

Feel free to share anything else about yourself regarding your connection to Astraea and your willingness to stay engaged with us.

Astraea has powerful, strong, beautiful voices within it. I feel grateful to be able to support in any way I can. I believe in manifesting the thing you want. Supporting Astraea means supporting a mission I believe in and supporting a community I want to be a part of.

Pidgeon Pagonis

Pidgeon Pagonis is an intersex artist and activist who has worked for almost a decade researching, advocating and educating a wide range of audiences about intersex issues and rights, and the movement for bodily autonomy and justice.

Pidgeon Pagonis is an intersex artist and activist who has worked for almost a decade researching, advocating and educating a wide range of audiences about intersex issues and rights, and the movement for bodily autonomy and justice. In 2013, they began work on their documentary, The Son I Never Had, which gives an inside look at one intersex person’s experience. The film weaves narration, recorded conversations, and medical records with photos, video and animation, in the hopes of compelling viewers to take action against the human rights violations incurred by intersex people.

Attending Creating Change? Pay us a visit!

This weekend, Astraea will be in Chicago, Illinois for Creating Change 2016. Come say hello at one of our events!

Friday, January 22

Session 1 + 2: 9:00 – 12:15 PM
FUNDRAISING FROM FOUNDATIONS: AN UPDATE ON THE FIELD OF LGBTQ PHILANTHROPY
Presenters from Funders for LGBTQ Issues will share data on the state of foundation funding benefiting LGBTQ communities and analyze trends in funding for trans communities, health, religious exemptions, and funding in the Midwest and the South. Additionally, a panel of funders will share perspectives on gaps and opportunities in LGBT philanthropy. Finally, participants will have small group discussions with funders to explore opportunities particular to their work. Astraea Program Officers Namita Chad and Miabi Chatterji will be available for small-group discussion on fundraising from foundations.

6:30 pm, Williford Rooms B + C, Third Floor
INVISIBLE NO MORE: THE GLOBAL INTERSEX RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Join the Arcus Foundation, interACT, and the Astraea Foundation for a discussion among intersex activists from around the world to explore this growing human rights movement, including current challenges that face advocacy efforts as well as developments that are driving increased awareness and support for intersex issues worldwide. Reception co-hosted by Carter Covington, executive producer of MTV’s television series Faking It.

8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
ASTRAEA FOUNDATION GRANTEE RECEPTION
Brasserie by LM, 800 S. Michigan Ave
Wheelchair-accessible | Take Elevator to 2nd Floor
Please join us for dinner and connection!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23

NON-BINARY 101: THE NEEDS OF NON-BINARY/GENDERQUEER/GENDER-NONCONFORMING COMMUNITIES
We get it: as a movement leader, it can be hard to keep up with all of the terms that young people are using to describe their gender identities. For folks who are used to the gender binary, non-binary
identities can often be confusing, but we’re here to help. In this workshop, we will teach participants
about the gender non-binary/genderqueer/gender non-conforming community from the ground up.
Participants will leave this session with concrete knowledge and practical tools to integrate the needs of non-binary people into their organization’s work.
Presenters: Jacob Tobia, Astraea Foundation; Renee Reopell, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
P. 141 of itinerary

Save the date for Astraea’s cocktail party in Chicago!

This event is now over. To learn about more ways to get involved with Astraea in your city, visit the Events and Action section of our website.

astraea chicago

Please join us Thursday, January 21, 2015, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, for an evening of great conversation and refreshments with the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. We’ll be sharing updates about our current projects and priorities, as well as our vision for fueling a global campaign for LGBTQI rights.

January 21st will be a great get-together! You’ll be receiving a formal e-vite after the New Year. Meanwhile, please pencil us in on your calendar!

Invisible to Invincible (“i2i”): API Pride of Chicago

Invisible to Invincible: Asian Pacific Islander Pride of Chicago (“i2i”) is a group that celebrates, affirms, and engages Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Queer (LGBTQQ) persons in and around the Chicago area. i2i organizes monthly educational programs, social events, and activism.

Invisible to Invincible: Asian Pacific Islander Pride of Chicago (“i2i”) is a group that celebrates, affirms, and engages Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Queer (LGBTQQ) persons in and around the Chicago area. i2i organizes monthly educational programs, social events, and activism. i2i was founded in 2005 as a multi-gender, multi-ethnic group where people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, immigration & adoptee identities, and multiracial & multiethnic backgrounds would be welcome. i2i increases awareness and visibility in both the Asian Pacific Islander communities and the LGBTQ communities. Anti-oppression (the work of actively challenging and removing oppression caused by power inequalities in society, both systemic and on an individual level) is a key value that motivates the purpose of i2i and informs where energy and resources are directed. While responding to and even preventing homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, heterosexism, and racism is i2i’s primary purpose for being, i2i can also be active and/or stand in solidarity with many other social issues that affect our community (i.e., immigration, education, poverty, and fair housing). This organization is supported through the Funding Queerly Giving Circle, which is housed at Astraea.