Location: USA

36.2069006, -113.8340406

Rent Office Space at Astraea on Union Square in New York City

The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice seeks to rent four office spaces to fellow non-profits in the New York City Area.

We currently have three available enclosed offices with large windows for $700 each. Also we have one cubicle available for $500 a month. Utilities are included for all spaces. Also included are access to a full kitchen and a conference room, as well as access to postage machine, copiers and fax.

Our offices are conveniently located on East 16th Street between Irving Place and Union Sq. East right off of Union Sq. Park, and by the N, R, Q, W, L, 4, 5, and 6 subway lines.

For more information please contact info@astraeafoundation.org or call 212-529-8021 ext. 810

Meet the Activist: Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project

Join Astraea on Thursday, August 19th for a Meet the Activist event featuring grantee partner Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP).  QWOCMAP is of the only organizations in the U.S. dedicated to giving voice and agency to queer women of color through film and video.  Come visit the Astraea offices in person, or participate via phone or web conference as Kebo Drew and Madeline Lim of QWOCMAP weave galvanizing films with history and illustrate the ways in which art has been and continues to be a source of cultural resistance and cultural renewal for communities of color, especially LGBTQ people of color.

Meet the Activist: Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project

REELS OF RESISTANCE

Thursday, August 19th
3:00 PM ET/ 12:00 PM PT

RSVP to join in person (seats are limited)
RSVP to join by teleconference
RSVP to join by webconference

Weaving galvanizing films with history, QWOCMAP illustrates the ways in which art has always been a source of cultural resistance and cultural renewal for communities of color, especially LGBTQ people of color.

Art has often been the only voice that marginalized communities have had to declare their humanity.  Artists have documented, shaped, defined and informed movements for change, and queers artists on the cutting edge of the LGBTQ movement are one of the keys to liberation.  From Ghost Dancers to revolutionary Mexican corridos to Civil Rights era SNCC Freedom Singers to queer filmmakers like Marlon Riggs and Pratibha Parmar, presenters will illustrate that art IS activism.

For those able to join us in the office, the presentation will be followed by a meet and greet with Kebo Drew and Madeleine Lim of QWOCMAP.

 

LOCATION
Astraea Foundation
116 E. 16th Street, 7th Floor [map]
New York, NY
(212) 529-8021 x822

The Astraea office is wheelchair accessible.
If you would like assistance entering the building please call the number above.

QWOCMAP promotes the creation, exhibition and distribution of new films and videos that increase the visibility of queer women of color, authentically reflect their life stories, and address the vital social justice issues that concern their communities. This longtime Astraea grantee offers free 16-week digital video workshops, producing 30 new films each year. QWOCMAP also holds film screenings in collaboration with community-based organizations; organizes panels; and hosts an Annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival. [more about QWOCMAP]

Meet the Activist is a series of roundtable discussions hosted by Astraea as a means to connect grantee partners with supporters in a first-hand and in-depth manner.  All events are available both in-person or via a call-in and are recorded for possible future broadcast.  Don’t miss this in-depth look at art and resistance, and stay tuned to hear from Astraea grantee partners from all over the world.

 

Astraea Supports Publication of Black Lesbians Matter

Astraea grantee partner, Zuna Institute, published the needs assessment report Black Lesbians Matter this week, revealing that Black lesbian visibility is an essential element in the political and economic landscape and providing a glimpse into the lives of an often-overlooked group.

The report, which surveyed Black lesbians across the U.S. aged 18-70, was authored by Zuna Institute Executive Director Francine Ramsey; Gay Men’s Health Crisis CEO Dr. Marjorie J. Hill; and Cassondra Kellam, a PhD candidate at City University of New York Graduate Center.

Download Executive Summary

Download Full Report

ZUNA INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF REPORT BLACK LESBIANS MATTER

Sacramento, CA (July 27, 2010) – Zuna Institute announces the release of the Black Lesbian needs assessment report, Black Lesbians Matter. Authored by Francine Ramsey, Zuna Institute’s Executive Director; Dr. Marjorie J. Hill, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Chief Executive Officer; and Cassondra Kellam, PhD Student, Graduate Center, CUNY, this report examines the unique experiences, perspectives, and priorities of the Black Lesbian community.

The “Black Lesbians Matter” report, the result of a quantitative study, is akin to a Black Lesbian “census.” Regional, statewide, and local organizations that support Black LGBTQ asked Black lesbians to speak up and be heard, to stand up and be counted; 1,596 Black lesbians answered that call by participating in focus groups and through an on-line survey.

Francine Ramsey, Executive Director of Zuna Institute says, ”This report is the result of a year long process, and will lay the foundation for constructive dialog and the creation of an effective collection of strategies that will address the needs of the Black Lesbian community.”.

Brenda Crawford, co-founder of Zuna Institute quotes Rebecca Lee, “For what is done or learned by one class of women becomes, by virtue of their common womanhood the property of all women.”

Vallerie D. Wagner says, “This report accentuates the importance of using our voices to define us for ourselves.  It is our opportunity to speak and have our voices heard and acknowledged; our issues and concerns validated and defined in our own words.  We must continue to find and use our voices, for to remain silent is no longer an option.”

This study was funded by a generous grant from the Arcus Foundation, with additional support from the Gill Foundation and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. The “Black Lesbians Matter” report is available for download at www.zunainstitute.org.

Zuna Institute is a national advocacy organization for Black Lesbians that addresses such issues as health, economic development, education, and public policy. Zuna Institute brings about visibility and empowerment to the Black Lesbian community, and strives to eliminate barriers that are deeply rooted in public policies that encourage homophobia, economic and educational injustices, and other forms of social discrimination.

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Download Executive Summary

Download Full Report

Summer 2010 eThreads

Announcing the Summer 2010 edition of eThreads! Read on for the latest from Uganda, Colombia and Arkansas.  Meet the Lesbian Writers Fund awardees and read their work. Hear from a donor partner. Explore our new interactive map. Get connected!

Visit eThreads for artwork, video, and more. Read inspiring stories featuring Astraea’s strategic work and our incredible community of grantees and donors. We believe that social change results from the powerful collective action of people working together. Connecting communities is at the core of our work, and we hope that threads will strengthen, even further, our connection with you.

Visit eThreads.org!

Queers to the Left, to the Left

A newly formed national coalition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, transgender and gender nonconforming groups working for economic justice announced a new agenda for the queer rights movement on Saturday at the United States Social Forum (USSF) in Detroit.

This is the second United States Social Forum, which brought together over 15,000 activists, organizers and community members from across the United States and around the world to share strategies for advancing human rights and social justice. The ROOTS Coalition, grantee partners of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation’s U.S. Movement Building Initiative, expands the current agenda beyond marriage equality and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to include the needs of the most vulnerable communities and the structural causes of queer oppression.

Kenyon Farrow, Executive Director of Queers for Economic Justice in New York City, explained, “The most vulnerable people in our communities face discrimination from schools, landlords, lenders and employers. This leaves them underemployed, underhoused and without access to formal education. This creates a pipeline into poverty, continuing the legacy of state-sponsored violence against poor people.”

“Queer people are immigrants, the working-poor; we are hard working single-mothers, domestic workers and bus drivers, journalists and educators. We live in rural communities, the big cities, the reservations and on the gulf coast. Immigrant rights, reproductive justice, environmental racism, indigenous sovereignty, the economic recession and ecological destruction are all issues that affect our communities,” added Paulina Hernandez, Co-Director of Southerners On New Ground, a southern regional organization based in Atlanta, GA.

The coalition released the “Queer and Trans Peoples’ Resolution for Safe Self-Determination, generated through a collective process called the People’s Movement Assembly. Over 500 people over the course of the USSF worked together to produce a set of principles for Safe Self Determination. According to the statement, Safe Self-Determination is defined as a call to action to hold government systems accountable for ALL forms of state sponsored violence enacted upon queer, trans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirit, gender non-conforming people; and to fight for specific and concrete human rights and overall system transformation. Central to the resolution is deconstructing the US and global capitalist economy while building alternative economies, infrastructure and interdependence among groups rooted in the most vulnerable communities. The resolution also recognizes the need to work on 3 key areas of crisis-level struggle for our communities: liberation within work, wellness, and safety.

In the closing ceremonies, the more than 15,000 participants of USSF committed to upholding the resolutions produced by the 52 People’s Movement Assemblies that took place over the course of the week, including the Queer and Trans Peoples’ Movement Assembly.

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Contacts:
Caitlin Breedlove, Southerners On New Ground: 404-549-8628
Kenyon Farrow, Queers for Economic Justice: 212-564-3608
Joaquin Sanchez, Communications Liaison for the Queer and Trans Peoples’ Movement Assembly: 917-575-3154

Party With Pride —2010!

A highlight in the Pride Month lineup, come celebrate with the only foundation in the world solely dedicated to supporting LGBTI human rights in the U.S. and internationally!

Join us at the beautiful home of Katherine Acey, our executive director, and Astraea staff and friends will regale you with food, beverages and entertainment.

Sunday, June 13
2:00 – 5:00 PM

Home of Katherine Acey
Brooklyn, NY

RSVP and detailed information to come soon.

Party with Pride 2010 BBQ

Celebrate Pride with Astraea! Come toast to our communities’ successes, get inspired and meet new friends!  Hosted at the home of Katherine Acey, our Executive Director, Astraea staff and friends will delight you with tasty BBQ, thirst-quenching libations and lively conversations.  This is one party you won’t want to miss!

Click to RSVP!

Sunday, June 13th
2:00 – 5:00 PM
Home of Katherine Acey
Brooklyn, NY

Suggested Contribution: $40
(More if you can, less if you can’t.)

Click to RSVP!
Even if you’re unable to attend, please DONATE NOW to support LGBTI people around the world.

Yvonne Fly Onakeme Etaghene is a Nigerian dyke performance activist, poet, dancer, playwright and actress.  Fly uses her poetry to chisel a verbal sculpture of her soul while addressing issues of race, class, sexuality, imperialism, love and family.  Fly has self-published three collections of poetry, toured nationally and recently debuted her one woman show, Volcano’s Birthright(s), in NYC.

If you’re interested in hosting your own Astraea Justice Social, please call Raymond Hsia, events manager at: 212-529-8021 x814 or e-mail at: rhsia@astraeafoundation.org

Miriam and Vincent’s Birthday Justice Social

Astraea Board Member Miriam Perez and Astraea supporter Vincent Villano are coordinating a joint birthday Justice Social!  The evening will feature food, music and entertainment to benefit the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.

Saturday, May 22

7:30 – 10:00 PM

Home of Miriam Perez

Washington, D.C.

For more information or to host your own Justice Social, contact our Events Manager at 212-529-8021 x14 or events@astraeafoundation.org.

Astraea Executive Director Honored by Lambda Legal and North Star Fund

Astraea Executive Director Katherine Acey will be honored by the North Star Fund for her commitment to social justice and her visionary leadership of Astraea on April 29th. On May 3rd, Lambda Legal will honor Katherine for her work to further the civil rights of LGBT people and people living with HIV.

The North Star Fund Award honors Katherine along with other social justice leaders Maria Casteneda, Secretary-Treasurer for 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East; Asad Mahmood, Managing Director of the Global Social Investments Fund at Deutsche Bank; and Katrina vanden Heuvel, the editor and publisher of The Nation.

Katherine Accepts the 2010 Liberty Award