THE ASTRAEA LESBIAN FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE is the only philanthropic organization working exclusively to advance LGBTQI human rights around the globe. We support brilliant and brave grantee partners in the U.S and internationally who challenge oppression and seed change. We work for racial, economic, social, and gender justice, because we all deserve to live our lives freely, without fear, and with dignity.
Over the past four decades, Astraea has devoted over $31,000,000 to grassroots activists in nearly half the world. From Missoula, Montana to Cape Town, South Africa, we’ve supported countless struggles and successes in LGBTQI human rights. To learn more about the passionate activists behind these movements for gender, racial, economic, and social justice, take our interactive globe for a spin!
THE ASTRAEA LESBIAN FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE is the only philanthropic organization working exclusively to advance LGBTQI human rights around the globe. We support brilliant and brave grantee partners in the U.S and internationally who challenge oppression and seed change. We work for racial, economic, social, and gender justice, because we all deserve to live our lives freely, without fear, and with dignity.
THE ASTRAEA LESBIAN FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE is the only philanthropic organization working exclusively to advance LGBTQI human rights around the globe. We support brilliant and brave grantee partners in the U.S and internationally who challenge oppression and seed change. We work for racial, economic, social, and gender justice, because we all deserve to live our lives freely, without fear, and with dignity.
A donation to Astraea reaches across the globe, fueling campaigns for constitutional protections, combating forced “rehabilitation” clinics for lesbians, and fighting for the right for self-determination for trans people. Very few foundations are supporting the crucial work of LGBTI activists in the U.S. and around the globe—in fact, 0.2% of all foundation dollars nationally support these issues.
We are nearly a month away from this year’s Fueling the Frontlines Awards at Los Angeles’ Ace Museum! On May 25, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, Astraea will honor the frontline activists and cultural changemakers who are leading the new era of #resistance, including PatrisseCullors, Jennicet Gutiérrez, Jorge Ramos, and Paola Ramos.
When we say ALL Black Lives Matter, we mean Black trans folks! We mean black queer folks! …’We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.’
Patrisse Cullors, quoting June Jordan
Tickets are limited! Get yours today!
This week, we are honored to profile 2017 Fueling the Frontlines honoree and Black Lives Matter co-founder PatrisseCullors.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, artist, organizer, and freedom fighter PatrisseCullorsbecame involved in grassroots activism as a teenager. During Patrisse‘s youth, her 19 year-old mentally ill brother was incarcerated and tortured by local law enforcement. “Growing up with this visceral experience of policing really shaped my organizing work,” Patrisse told Fusion last winter. “There were no organizers knocking on our door telling us to join a movement. There were no hashtags for social media. There was a lot of despair.”
Ten years later, Patrisse created the organization Dignity and Power Now, which pursued and won civilian oversight of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department––a victory that brought justice to her family while protecting countless others.
Watch Patrisse’s Fusion interview in its entirety:
In 2013, Patrisse, with Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi, co-founded Black Lives Matter as a response to the enraging aquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. What began as a hashtag soon became an urgent call to action against police brutality and criminalization in the United States. Black Lives Matter has since expanded into an intricate network of 30 local chapters and thousands of determined activists fighting anti-Black racism worldwide.
Patrisse has received many awards for her organizing and movement building, including being named a “Civil Rights Leader for the 21st Century” by The Los Angeles Times. Her memoir, When They Call You a Terrorist, is forthcoming from St. Martin’s Press.
Unable to attand the Awards? Still want to celebrate the intrepid spirits of grassroots activists? Donate a ticket so that a community member can attend this inspiring event. To learn more, please contact Loran Hamilton at lhwarner@astraeafoundation.org.
The Astraea Foundation and our Host Committee invite you to a powerful night of art, music, cocktails, food, and friends. Join us Thursday, May 25 at Ace Museum in Los Angeles, California.
The Astraea Foundation and our Host Committee invite you to a powerful night of art, music, cocktails, food, and friends. Join us Thursday, May 25, from 6:30 to 9:40 pm PST at Ace Museum in Los Angeles, California as we honor the frontline activists and cultural changemakers who are leading the new era of #resistance. This year’s luminary honorees include:
#BlackLivesMatter co-founder, executive director of the LA-based organization Dignity and Power Now, and queer author Patrisse Cullors. Patrisse resists by demanding a world where Black bodies and dreams can thrive and where state-sanctioned violence against Black people is abolished;
Activist and founding member of Astraea grantee partner Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, Jennicet Gutiérrez. Jennicet resists by fearlessly challenging authority on the status of queer and trans immigrants and actively organizing to end the deportation, incarceration, and criminalization of our communities;
Univision anchor andcritically-acclaimed journalist Jorge Ramos. Jorge resists through his intrepid, in-depth reporting and forthright commentary on human rights, immigration, white supremacy, and other issues that directly impact our LGBTQI communities;
New York City Council Spokesperson Paola Ramos. Paola resists by fighting for the sanctuary and equity of immigrants in NYC. Previously, Paola worked as Deputy Director of Hispanic Media for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign to ensure that migrant voices were heard.
Together we will celebrate these leaders whose commitment, passion, and work inspire others and meaningfully advance LGBTQI justice in our communities and around the world. Read more about the honorees and buy tickets on our website. Don’t miss these inspiring movement leaders. Get your tickets now! Your purchase supports Astraea’s endeavors to provide critical resources to LGBTQI grassroots activists and organizations across the globe. Can’t make it to Fueling the Frontlines? Still want to play a critical part? Sponsor a ticket so that a community member can attend. Be the first to know about Fueling the Frontlines developments! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest on our current and forthcoming honorees and performers. Thank you for fueling our movements! Warmly, The 2017 Fueling the Frontlines Host Comittee (in formation as of April 12, 2017) Alice Y. Hom, co-chair Mónica Taher, co-chair Lynn Harris Ballen Casey Bloys Kelly Bush Ilene Chaiken Ryan Li Dahlstrom Maria De La Cruz and Shawn Hogedorn Melissa Etheridge dream hampton Jamison Herbert Seana Johnson Moez Kaba and Bjorn Lundberg Mahdis Keshavarz Isis King Eric Kranzler Robin Coste Lewis Alec Mapa Elliot Page Paulette Pantoja Katina Parker Leanne Pittsford Jenny Pizer Alan Poul Katrina Schaffer Maria Shtabskaya Mitchell Singer Naomi Sobel and Rabbi Becky Silverstein Corece A. Sparks Chip Sullivan Tristan Taormino Marquita Thomas Jacob Tobia Melanie Torbert Christine Vachon Linda Wallem Doreena Wong
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Thanks to everyone who attended the event! We were grateful to have everyone in the room.
Blackbird believes in the power of everyday people to organize and solve their own problems given the adequate space, resources, and tools.
Blackbird believes in the power of everyday people to organize and solve their own problems given the adequate space, resources, and tools. Blackbird’s mission is to work with Black organizers, organizations, and Black people interested in organizing and social justice work to build durable, sustainable movement infrastructure, and identify best practices in moments of crises. They aim to facilitate national interventions on criminalization, incarceration, state violence, and the inability of Black communities to access their fundamental human rights. Blackbird’s strategy centers collaboration throughout local, national, and international communities. Locally, they provide rapid response and capacity-building support; nationally, they work to foster strong networks between Black-led, indigenous, and people of color movements; and internationally, they connect leaders within the Movement for Black Lives to leaders of Black movements in locations outside the U.S. such as Brazil and South Africa in order to learn and strategize with each other.
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