Location: San Francisco

Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits (BAAITS)

Bay Area American Indians Two-Spirits (BAAITS) exists to restore and recover the role of Two-Spirit people within the American Indian/First Nations community by creating a forum for the spiritual, cultural and artistic expression of Two-Spirit people.

Bay Area American Indians Two-Spirits (BAAITS) exists to restore and recover the role of Two-Spirit people within the American Indian/First Nations community by creating a forum for the spiritual, cultural and artistic expression of Two-Spirit people. They produce an annual powwow, a Native American cultural gathering that features traditional dancing and drumming. They are proud to produce the only public Two Spirit Powwow in the world; their powwow, unlike mainstream powwows, celebrates the gifts that Two-Spirit and LGBT people have to offer the community. Many powwows have rigid gender roles, and their event has been working to queer these roles by de-gendering the dance categories as well as the Head Dancer roles, incorporating partner dances, and encouraging participation of same-gender couples, all things which are rarely, if ever, seen at straight powwows. Through the annual powwow, Drum group, traditional arts classes, community potlucks, and other activities, BAAITS brings together Two-Spirit People and allies to revive these sacred traditions and strengthen awareness of and support for Native and Two-Spirit communities. These cultural events are critical to serving Two-Spirit People who must resist the overlapping oppressions of colonialism, racism, capitalism, homophobia, and transphobia.

This organization is supported through the Funding Queerly Giving Circle, which is housed at Astraea.

Resistance, resilience, and remembrance…

This week is a chance to witness the work that trans* activists are doing across the country.

You really gotta fight to hold onto who you are.
– Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
Former executive director, TGI Justice Project

 

November 20, 2015 marks the seventeenth annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day initially created to memorialize Rita Hester, an American trans* woman of color who was slain in her apartment in 1998. Since then, communities have gathered on November 20th for vigils to mourn, honor, and celebrate those lost to anti-trans* violence across the world.

Sadly, Rita’s fate has become an all too common reality. According to a TVT Project report, nearly 271 trans* individuals have been murdered in the past year alone, at least 29 of whom were based in the United States.

However, resiliency is often borne from such tragedy. 2015 has been a year of definitive strides for trans* and gender non-conforming communities across the world. In the last year and a half, Denmark, Malta, Colombia and Ireland joined Argentina in passing historic gender recognition laws, allowing people to self-determine their legal names and gender markers without rights-violating medical requirements. We are inspired by Astraea grantee partners who are highlighting the resilience and resistance of their communities, from Missouri GSA Network’s #LiftingUpLila campaign to Iranti-Org’s establishment of Africa Trans Visibility Day.

This Transgender Day of Remembrance allows us all an opportunity to celebrate and listen intently to trans* communities. Astraea stands in solidarity with trans* folks and recommits ourselves to supporting struggles for gender, racial and economic justice for all.

Several Astraea grantee partners are hosting Transgender Day of Remembrance events. This week is a chance to witness the work that trans* activists are doing across the country, give a gift to a trans*-led grantee partner in honor of our trans* heroes, or spread the word.

Black Transmen, Inc.
5th Annual Black-OUT Vigil
November 20 | 12 am-12 pm
Dallas and Online
RSVP
BreakOUT!
Trans March of Resilience
November 20 | 11 am
Louis Armstrong Park
701 North Rampart Street, New Orleans, LA
RSVP
Casa Ruby
Vigil
November 19 | 8:30 pm
American University, MGC Building 2-3
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
RSVP
El/La Para Trans Latinas
Vigil
November 20 | 6-8:30 pm
LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street, San Francisco, CA

Love is a Revolutionary Practice

Love is a Revolutionary Practice

To love in these times is revolutionary. We are reminded, every day, how radical it is to truly love as we confront homophobic laws, violence and discrimination. As radical philanthropists, activists, organizers and artists, we fight to make this world a better place for LGBTQI folks everywhere. Love–motivating lots of hard work & brilliant organizing–will create this world. We should never have to choose safety over self-determination. An army of lovers cannot fail!

On this Valentine’s day, we celebrate our brilliant and brave community who live the Revolution of Love by:

Painting the town Pink in Colombia

        Santamaría Fundación marching for trans womens visibility and rights at the Marcha Fucsia in Colombia

Becoming Penpals with incacerated LGBTQI folks 

By building community and working to demolish the violent prison system.

Black & Pink, Astraea grantee partner running a LGBTQ prisoner newsletter and Penpal program

Raising fists against violence and demanding lesbian rights in Honduras

 

Red Lésbica Cattrachas Honduras

Taking queer and trans* power to the streets!

CUAV members in SF at the Trans* March, June 2013. Photo by Erin Johnson. 
 
Photobombing Program officers
 

E.D. J. Bob Alotta with Astraea Program Officer, Namita Chad, 2015

Making art not war, because all queer her-stories are important

 

Guyana Trans United (GTU) and the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) hosted a week-long “Stand Against Transphobia” photo exhibition of work by artist and curator Ulelli Verbeke.

Opening hearts and homes for fundraising

Astraea donors come together to raise funds at house parties to resource LGBTQI work. 

Denver House Party

Friends gather at Fran and Anna Simon’s Denver House Party, 2015  

Choosing safety over truth, and being an army of lovers marching for equality

More than 300 folks walked for equality to end all violence in Guyana

GEF March
Guyana Equality Forum (GEF), at Walk for Equality, say NO to Violence in Feb 2014, Guyana. Organized by Astraea grantee partner SASOD  

Waging love with our wallets

Every penny counts. Whether it’s $5 or $5000 every month because love and compassion go hand in hand.

To the thousands of donors who support us, we love you.

To the fearless folks on the frontlines, we love you.

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The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others. That action is the testimony of love as the practice of freedom. 

– bell hooks

Dr. Annalise Ophelian

Annalise Ophelian is an award-winning filmmaker and the producer/director of the documentary about Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, MAJOR!.

Annalise Ophelian is an award-winning filmmaker and the producer/director of the documentary about Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, MAJOR!. She is a white, queer-identified cis woman, psychologist, and consultant whose work includes Diagnosing Difference (2009). StormMiguel Florez is the co-producer/editor of MAJOR! and is a Xicano transgender musician and filmmaker. He is a graduate of the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project and on the leadership team of the Transgender GenderVariant Intersex Justice Project.

Watch an interview with Annalise Ophelian and Miss Major, the subject of Ophelian’s documentary:

Press: A news update, from same sex marriage in the UK to Astraea’s $20M campaign for LGBTQI rights.

Heather Cassell writing for the Bay Area Reporter takes a look at some pressing LGBTQI news across the globe, from Britons tying the knot, Australians waiting in the wings, to Astraea’s $20M #fuelingthefrontline campaign for change.

The funding will aid Astraea’s more than 35-year effort to combat global violence against LGBT people and empower them. Astraea has helped its partners shut down lesbian torture clinics in Ecuador; expose police tactics to prevent violence in South Africa; ensure access to health care for transgender individuals in the U.S.; and more, Alotta pointed out.

To read more, click here: http://ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=69616

Lesbian Techies Energize SF

Bay Area writer Heather Cassell reports on ground-breaking initiatives that came out of the first-ever Lesbians Who Tech Summit held in San Francisco this March.

 

Nearly 800 digital dykes and their friends geeked out and were ready to revolutionize the tech industry at the first-ever Lesbians Who Tech Summit at the Castro Theatre. The energetic conference brought together trailblazing lesbian technology leaders and a new generation of queer women from around the U.S. and abroad.

To read more, click here: www.edgeonthenet.com/technology/News/156239/lesbian_techies_energize_sf

Lesbians Who Tech Summit

Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice is proud to be a partner to the inaugural Lesbians Who Tech Summit —the only event focused on increasing visibility and tech participation in two historically underrepresented communities: the women’s and queer communities. Join the summit on February 28, 2014 in San Francisco, the epicenter of the technology industry.

LESBIANS WHO TECH SUMMIT

FEB. 27 – MAR. 2 2014 // CASTRO STREET THEATER // SAN FRANCISCO
Get 25% if you register using code: LWTASTRAEA
REGISTER

The Lesbians Who Tech Summit will bring together hundreds of queer women in tech (and the people who love them), for the most unique technology conference ever. We will be highlighting incredible queer women who are the next generation of technical leaders, as well as the people who have paved the way. Whether you have a techy job, work at a tech company, or just love technology, we want you to get geeky with other people like you! Lesbians Who Tech (and the people who love them) Summit is open to everyone.

Join Astraea at our Late Morning Session:

Social Good Pitches
Friday, February 28 // 11:30am

Five Social Good Organizations share how they’re using to technology to change the world for women, the LGBT community & people of color. Moderator: Courtney Cuff, CEO, Gill Foundation

  • AllOut, Andre Banks, Executive Director
  • Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, J Bob Alotta, Executive Director
  • CODE2040, Laura Weidman Powers, Executive Director
  • Chicana Latina Foundation, Olga Talamante, Executive Director
  • National Center for Lesbian Rights, Kate Kendell, Executive Director

Funding Nascent Movements at IHRFG Conference

Join Astraea and Global Philanthropy Project at the International Human Rights Funders Group Conference for a panel titled Funding Nascent Movements: Lessons from the Global Trans Movement.

Join Astraea and Global Philanthropy Project at the International Human Rights Funders Group Conference for a panel titled Funding Nascent Movements: Lessons from the Global Trans Movement. The panel will feature Astraea grantee partner Mulabi from Costa Rica to share their strategy on advancing trans* and intersex rights in the region.

Visit the conference website and register today!

What do funders do when rights collide? Our opening plenary session will examine the quandary of conflicting rights, taking examples from women’s rights, freedom of expression, and LGBT rights. Do some rights get privileged over others?

Join dynamic workshops and discussions on:

  • Surveillance at home and abroad
  • The role of human rights funders in pre- and post-conflict situations
  • Links between financial regulation and human rights
  • Lessons from trans* groups on supporting nascent movements
  • Non-grantmaking strategies for grantmakers
  • Youth leadership and organizing

10 LGBTQI Activist Moments of 2013

At Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, the last days of the year are a time to honor brave leaps forward and take stock of political set backs for LGBTQI rights activism in 2013. By no means comprehensive, we offer a brief survey of ten moments of LGBTQI activism around the globe in 2013. Join the conversation online and share more moments with us on facebook and twitter using #LGBTQIActivistMoments!

At Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, the last days of the year are a time to honor brave leaps forward and take stock of political set backs for LGBTQI rights activism in 2013. By no means comprehensive, we offer a brief survey of ten moments of LGBTQI activism around the globe in 2013. Join the conversation online and share more moments with us on facebook and twitter using #LGBTQIActivistMoments!

1. Edith Windsor’s win for Marriage Equality: the Defense of Marriage Act is declared unconstitutional by U.S. Supreme Court. Federal recognition is afforded to same-sex marriages performed under state law. The U.S. becomes one of a handful of countries pushing same-sex marriage forward.

2. In a set back in Colombia, the nation’s same-sex marriage bill failed to pass the Senate and bypass coalition opposition led by the Attorney General. Legal ambiguity remains, however, with constitutional recognition of legal registry in effect. Couples can approach notaries or judges to marry, but their requests remain in the hands of officials who can deny them.

3. Years of policy advocacy, movement building, and direct action by LGBTQI activists of color produced hard-fought victories for immigration rights in California. The city of San Francisco passed an ordinance limiting the Secure Communities program (S-Comm), effectively reducing the threat of deportation to anyone arrested by local police. And the state of California passed the Trust Act, prohibiting local law enforcement agencies from detaining people for deportation if arrested for a minor or non-violent crime and are otherwise eligible to be released from custody.

4. New York City Council passed the Community Safety Act, winning New Yorkers protection from the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk policy. Simultaneously, Federal Judge Shira Scheindlin issued a decision declaring stop-and-frisk as practiced by the NYPD unconstitutional. While this ruling was appealed by Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s administration, Mayor-Elect Bill DeBlasio has pledged to drop this appeal and it remains to be seen exactly how these new protections against police abuse will be enacted.

5. Ugandan LGBTI advocacy groups made collective strides pinpointing American evangelist involvement in anti-gay persecution in Uganda. The U.S. court case “Sexual Minorities Uganda vs. Scott Lively” moved forward while the Ugandan parliament unexpectedly passed its “Kill the Gays” bill.

6. Cuban lawmakers approve a proposal to ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

7. LGBTQI activism swelled after India’s Supreme Court upheld a colonial-era law, Section 377 of India’s penal code, and recriminalized same-sex relations. The Court’s decision overruled a previous ruling of 377 as unconstitutional by the Delhi High Court, and severely set back LGBTQI human rights protections in India.

8. LGBTQI human rights activists in Russia witnessed a show of support around the winter Olympic games in Sochi. Activists called for action, reporting heightened LGBTQI violence since the Russian government passed an anti-gay propaganda law and conducted nationwide raids of nongovernmental organizations to identify “foreign agents” earlier in the year. International advocacy efforts include Billie Jean King, Brian Boitano, and other gay athletes joining a U.S. delegation to the Olympics.

9. In a unanimous 9-0 ruling, Canada’s Supreme Court decriminalized sex work offering constitutional protections to sex workers’ health and safety.

10. Guyana courts upheld a partial ban on cross-dressing deeming it illegal if done for “improper purposes.” LGBTQI rights groups in Guyana including Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination rallied to appeal the judgment to protect transgender people from being persecuted by 120-year-old law.

In Memory

Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice mourns the lives and celebrates the legacies of three activists and colleagues who have recently passed.

Sunila

Sunila Abeysekera, a courageous human rights defender, pioneer feminist, lesbian, scholar, and artist, passed away after a long battle with cancer on September 9th at the age of 61.

Sunila was a visionary activist with a 40 year legacy fighting for justice in Sri Lanka and regionally in South Asia, and coalition-building globally. In her career, Sunila addressed violence against women, peace building and conflict transformation, sexual and reproductive rights, and the rights of marginalized communities such as sex workers, ethnic minorities, people living with HIV/AIDS, and lesbian, gay, and transgender people. Sunila’s dedication to liberation and justice often put her at great risk. A fearless outspoken advocate, Sunila faced threats to her safety with boundless courage throughout her activist career. According to WHRD IC, she met particular danger with bravery during the period of terror in Sri Lanka where large-scale violence and enforced disappearances took place in the country.

Sunila was a founding member of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD IC) and supported the development of Women’s Support Group, the first queer women’s organization in Sri Lanka. She also founded the Women and Media Collective, the INFORM Human Rights Documentation Center, and the Movement for Interracial Justice and Equality. She worked internationally with the Global Campaign for Women’s Human Rights, lobbying at the 1993 United Nations World Conference and the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women. She received the UN Secretary General’s Award for Human Rights from Kofi Annan in 1998, was nominated as one of the One Thousand Women for the Nobel Peace in 2005, and was honored with the Human Rights Defender Award in 2007 by Human Rights Watch.

Melenie

Astraea mourns the loss of international trans rights activist Melenie Mahinamalamalama Eleneke. Known to many as Auntie Mel,Melenie passed away at the age of 53 on September 9th after visiting the hospital with chest pain and being sent home without due care.

A core leader at TGI Justice Project, Melenie fought for the rights of trans, gender variant, and intersex people of color within and outside of the prison system. She was an editor of TGI Justice’s prison newsletter, Stiletto, and served as Director of Development and Administration at the organization. In 2008, Melenie brought the rights of trans women of color to the forefront with an historic address to the United Nation during its review of U.S. compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

An activist in the Polynesian community and a spiritual healer, Melenie gave vibrant force to the movement to preserve the culture, language, and spiritual practices of the Hawaiian people. She was member of many Hula groups including The Ladies of Keolalaulani Halau and the House of Valenciaga, and founded a hula group for trans woman of color. Family, friends, and colleagues celebrate Melenie with tributes of her loving and generous spirit at meleniepresente.

Betu

Pioneer lesbian, bisexual, and trans rights activist in India, Betu Singh passed away on October 4th. Betu established Sangini Trust in New Dehli in 1997, the first lesbian crisis hotline and one of the oldest community support programs for lesbian and bisexual women, and trans people in India. Betu ran Sangini Trust without funding for its first two years. Against great odds, Sangini Trust grew from a hotline to a multiservice organization offering weekly group meetings and workshops, working with educational institutions and prisons, and providing crucial educational resources and legal support to the LBT community. Betu spoke to the evolution of her activist work and her personal history in a video interview as part of PROJECT BOLO (Project Speak Up).

In the wake of Betu’s passing, outpourings of commemoration from friends and community pay respect to Betu’s unwavering support to LBT communities in Delhi.