Astraea grantee partners past and present were five of 40 leading activists featured in The Advocates Forty Under 40. Kenyon Farrow of Queers for Economic Justice; Mia Mingus of SPARK Reproductive Justice; Frank Mugisha of Sexual Minorities Uganda; Dean Spade, founder of Sylvia Rivera Law Project; and Selly Thiam of None on Record (stories of queer Africa) joined other luminaries in this highlight of LGBTI leadership.
By Advocate Contributors
Bridging the age gap between Gen X and Gen Y, this years selection of young activists, artists, and other standouts is proof the qualities that make a leader are often innateand that the gay movement is still in good hands.
Read more:
Did you miss the event? Watch and listen the recording now!
The anti-homosexuality bill now before the Ugandan legislature is just the latest in a series of attacks on LGBTI people and their allies. Join Astraea to hear firsthand from Africans who have witnessed the realities facing LGBTI people in Uganda. Learn how U.S. religious fundamentalists have contributed to collateral damage for Ugandan sexual minorities while pursuing their own agendas. Frank Mugisha (SMUG), Kapya Kaoma (PRA), and Reverend Patricia Ackerman have been active in challenging discrimination within the church and civil society in both Africa and the United States.
Monday, March 22
6:00 – 8:00 PM EST (6:30 – 7:30 PM EST for call-in participants only)
Astraea Foundation [map]
116 East 16th Street, 7th Floor
(between Irving Place and Union Square East)
New York, NY
Political Research Associates (PRA) is a progressive think tank devoted to supporting movements that are building a more just and inclusive democratic society. We expose movements, institutions, and ideologies that undermine human rights.
Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) is a coalition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) human rights organizations. Founded in 2004 to organize LGBTI groups to create a strong LGBTI community in Uganda, the coalition works to challenge discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Meet the Activist event 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. Dont miss this in-depth look at Colombia, and stay tuned to hear from Astraea grantee partners from all over the world.
Speakers:
Frank Mugisha, Executive Director, Sexual Minorities Uganda
The Rev. Dr. Kapya Kaoma, Projext Director, Political Research Associates
The Rev. Patricia Ackerman, LGBT/SOGI Human Rights Officer, Unitarian Universalist UN Office
From Executive Director, Katherine Acey: I have some important news to share with you. In December 2010, after almost 23 years, I will be leaving my position as Astraea’s Executive Director. I am preparing to leave an organization that I deeply treasure and that has given me the unique privilege to bring my whole self to the table. Being at Astraea has allowed me to live by my values and to work alongside an incredible array of people who share a passion for justice.
For the rest of Katherine’s Letter, click here.
For the Press Release from the board, click here.
Astraea is proud to present Justice in the Making: Astraea’s 2009 Annual Report. Its pages reflect the growing global reach of Astraea’s network of donors, grantees and colleagues working tirelessly for LGBTI human rights and social, racial, economic and gender justice worldwide.
In the last year with the support of our donor partners, Astraea granted more than $2.2 million to 210 organizations and 21 individuals in 109 cities across 43 countries around the world. In addition to supporting the leadership of promising new organizations and projects, Astraea has also invested considerable resources to sustain burgeoning movements. Two of these projects, the Consortium of Latin American Womens Funds LBT Project and Astraeas Multi-Year Movement-Building Initiative, are profiled in this report.
The past year brought both challenges and new opportunities. The nonprofit sector experienced a difficult economic year and some tough policy setbacks, and religious fundamentalists had a hand in hate-based legislation in Uganda and other countries. At the same time, we saw real progress in the fight for LGBTI human rights. From Ecuador to Serbia, constitutional protections for LGBTI people were enacted. Across the U.S., powerful films connecting personal stories to social justice issues influenced growing audiences, and trans and gender-non-conforming people secured policy victories against discrimination. Globally, LGBTI organizations advanced shared goals for gender and racial justice by making links with womens and other social justice movements.
As we address multiple challenges with multiple strategies, let us remember to celebrate each other and the many victories along the way. This annual report is dedicated to you–Astraea grantee and donor partners who give your time and resources so generously. Together we are sustaining this vital work for social change.
Did you miss the event? Watch and listen to the recording now!
Join Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice on Friday, March 12 for a Meet the Activist event featuring Colombia Diversa, an International Fund grantee partner. Come to our New York office or call-in to listen to Marcela Sánchez Buitrago of COLOMBIA DIVERSA. Marcela, an expert on LGBT communities in Colombia, will discuss victories for same-sex couples, progress on the rights of trans people in prison, and other trends on sexual rights in Colombia and the Latin American region.
Founded in 2004, Colombia Diversa is a LGBT organization with national reach working for the full inclusion, recognition and mobilization of LGBT people in Colombia. Colombia Diversa is seizing a unique, timely opportunity to mobilize large-scale policy change through human rights monitoring, advocacy, community organizing, and litigation.
The Meet the Activist event 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. Dont miss this in-depth look at Colombia, and stay tuned to hear from Astraea grantee partners from all over the world.
Speaker:
Marcela Sánchez Buitrago, Executive Director, Colombia Diversa
Friday, March 12
12:30 – 2:30 PM EST (1:00 – 2:00 PM EST for call-in participants only)
Astraea Foundation [map]
116 East 16th Street, 7th Floor
(between Irving Place and Union Square East)
New York, NY
This event will be bilingual in Spanish and English.
This is Brown Bag Event please bring your own lunch to enjoy.
To provide the most amount of access, we are offering you the opportunity to RSVP in person or to call-in via phone conference. Please select option below.
Community Sponsors:
CINEMAROSA
Hispanics in Philanthropy
International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission
Latinos/as Unidos de New York
Make the Road New York
Trans Empowerment New York
¡Conoce a Activistas! Presentando a COLOMBIA DIVERSA
¡Acompana a Astraea–Fundación Lésbica por la Justicia el viernes 12 de marzo en nuestro evento
¡Conoce a Activistas! presentando a Colombia Diversa, una organización contraparte de nuestro Fondo Internacional! Ven a nuestras oficinas en Nueva York o llámanos para escuchar a Marcelauna experta en la situación y derechos de comunidades LGBT en Colombiahablar sobre las estrategias y logros de la organización a nivel nacional. También compartirá sobre los asuntos en que se enfoca Colombia Diversa y el estado de los movimientos por derechos sexuales en el país y en la región de América Latina. Después de la presentación habrá un poco de tiempo para reflexionar a través de una sesión de preguntas y respuestas.
Fundada en el 2004, Colombia Diversa es una organización LGBT de alcance nacional que trabaja por la inclusión plena, el reconocimiento y la movilización de la personas LGBT en Colombia. Colombia Diversa está aprovechando un momento único y oportuno para buscar cambios en política pública en gran escala por medio de monitoreo de derechos humanos, incidencia política, organización comunal y estrategias legales.
El evento ¡Conoce a Activistas! forma parte de una serie de conversaciones, estilo mesa redonda, auspiciada por Astraea como una manera de conectar a organizaciones contrapartes en persona y de manera profunda con un público abierto a sus ideas. Los eventos son en vivo y por teleconferencia y son grabados para posible difusión futura (a nuestra discreción). ¡No te pierdas esta mirada profunda de asuntos LGBT en Colombia, y manténte pendiente en el futuro para escuchar a otras organizaciones contrapartes de Astraea alrededor del mundo!
Ponente:
Marcela Sánchez Buitrago, Directora Ejecutiva, Colombia Diversa
Viernes 12 de marzo
12:30 – 2:30 PM Hora EST (1:00 – 2:00 PM Hora EST para participantes en la teleconferencia)
Evento de Mediodía – favor de traer tu propio almuerzo
Oficinas de la Fundación Astraea
116 E. Calle 16, 7mo Piso
(entre Calles Irving Place & Union Square East)
Manhattan, Nueva York
Para proveer la mayor oportunidad de acceso a este evento, ofrecemos la opción de responder para asistir en persona o por teleconferencia. Para participar por favor selecciona una de las opciones abajo:
Community Sponsors:
CINEMAROSA
Hispanics in Philanthropy
International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission
Latinos/as Unidos de New York
Make the Road New York
Trans Empowerment New York
On International Women’s Day, Astraea’s global reach was featured on Feminist Teacher, the blog of board member Ileana Jiménez, who is a leader in the field of social justice education. The post was picked up by Gender Across Borders as part of their International Women’s Day coverage.
From Feminist Teacher
“Through the years, Astraea has become a major global women’s fund that supports not only lesbian social change activism but also that of gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) groups throughout the world. This past year alone, with the support of donor partners, Astraea granted more than $2.2 million to 210 organizations and 21 individuals in 109 cities across 43 countries.
As a fourth-year board member, I am proud to be a part of Astraea’s work in moving forward social, racial, economic and gender justice. What sets Astraea apart from other foundations and what makes me excited to become a lifelong donor is its commitment to movement building and to queer people of color.”
Read the full post on Feminist Teacher.
Visit Gender Without Borders’ International Women’s Day feature.
Astraea grantee partner Q-Wave brought in the Year of the Tiger with the first-ever LGBTQ contingent in New York’s Lunar New Year Parade. The organization garnered unprecedented support from elected officials and a wide range of Asian organizations. They partnered with Asian LGBT groups and invited members of the LGBTI Irish and South Asian communities, barred from their own cultural parades, to join them. Hundreds of LBGTQ people, family and friends marched to challenge homophobia and celebrate family in all of its forms.
Read article at the Daily News
In a historic first, gay and lesbian groups marched through the streets of Chinatown Sunday in the festive Lunar New Year parade.
And they invited the Indian and Irish gays, too.
Wearing rainbow bandannas, about 300 gays and supporters waved versions of the fish and the phoenix, traditional Chinese symbols for prosperity and renewal.
They were joined by drummers and even a costumed tiger with its own rainbow armbands.
“We are ecstatic. It’s a huge step forward,” said Irene Tung, 31, a spokeswoman for Q-Wave, which led the gay contingent.
It was made up of marchers from groups that included St. Patrick’s Day for All and the South Asian Lesbian & Gay Association, which have been barred for years from the annual St. Patrick’s Day and India Day parades.
“Today is a historic breakthrough for this community, and someday I hope we will see the same on [St. Patrick’s Day],” said St. Pat’s for All founder Brendan Fay. “My feeling today was one of joy for this community.”
Unlike the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Fifth Ave., which has for years barred gays, organizers allowed the gay group to march.
Steven Tin, executive director of the Better Chinatown Society, said there was no reason to exclude the groups.
“Why not?” he said. “We basically welcome groups that want to do a cultural celebration.”
The thousands of revelers who packed Mott St. to watch the colorful parade ushering in the Year of the Tiger were mostly supportive, with frequent cheers for the gay marchers.
The Rev. Patrick Cheng of the Metropolitan Community Church marched with his 75-year-old mother.
“Given a lot of hostility in Asian-American evangelical communities, I think it’s good for me to come out and represent the religious side,” he said.
Mom Deanna Cheng said she’s getting more comfortable discussing her son’s homosexuality with her Chinatown neighbors.
“[I] try to make them listen and change their minds,” she said. “In the past, I wouldn’t have dared to say anything.”
Read article at the Daily News
For Valentine’s this year, we’re sweet on you. Come get sweet on Astraea!
As a special thank you for your support, please be our guest as we celebrate our successes and our planned initiatives for 2010. We believe that Justice is Sweet when it’s shared because social change results from the power we harness together.
Thursday, February 11
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Astraea Foundation [map]
116 East 16th Street, 7th Floor
(between Union Square East and Irving Place)
Please RSVP to Raymond Hsia, Events Manager, today.
The Astraea Foundation is deeply saddened by Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti and its devastating aftershocks. We stand with the people of Haiti, their friends and their families in this time of crisis. Among many, many others, Flo McGarrell, the director of our grantee partner, Fanal Otenik Sant D’A Jakmel (FOSAJ), did not survive the earthquake. Our condolences go out to his family and to all who knew and loved him. Haiti and the LGBTI community have lost a brilliant and committed activist, humanitarian, and artist.
We had the opportunity to meet Flo and a FOSAJ member in the spring of 2009, during a visit to New York. We were very impressed and inspired by their work; recent visits to Haiti by close allies of Astraea in the past few months have confirmed that the group was making an important contribution in the lives of LGBTI people there. Astraea is making efforts to get in touch with the group and provide additional support.
Astraea has also been in touch with grantee partners in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island with Haiti and was not affected by the earthquake. The lesbian feminist collective Las Tres Gatas and trans group Transsa Dominicana are working in solidarity with Haitian communities in both countries. Members of Las Tres Gatas are traveling to the border and into Haiti to provide medical and social services. Other members have stayed behind to raise funds in areas highly frequented by LGBT people to contribute to the effort on the ground. They plan to collaborate in rebuilding efforts in the coming weeks and to support women, girls, and LGBTI communities in healing through the use of theatre and arts therapies. The two groups intend to connect with LGBTI communities and leaders in Haiti to assist in rebuilding their organizations. This solidarity work has important implications given the long history of deep racial and national tensions between the two countries.
In times of intense loss and chaos, too often women and LGBTI people experience increased violence, and Astraea calls for aid efforts that recognize their leadership, help prevent violence and provide services.
Astraea stands ready to provide emergency support to our grantee partners in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. But we need your help!
Donations to efforts that are grounded in the leadership of women and LGBTI people with a long-term goal to rebuild are much needed. Your donation will help mobilize LGBTI-inclusive efforts in solidarity with all Haitians, and will be directed to one of our grantee partners working in Haiti.
Please donate to support Haiti now. Thank you so much.
Astraea Program Officer, Dulce Reyes, was featured on WBAI’s Out FM radio hour. Dulce discussed the anti-gay legislation in Uganda and highlighted the importance of exposing U.S. religious fundamentalist intrusion in Uganda and worldwide. Astraea and our grantee partners in over 40 countries including the U.S. are constantly working for human rights that are fully inclusive of all people and are based on equality and justice.
Naomi Brussel of WBAI’s Out FM interviews Astraea Program Officer Dulce Reyes
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{/literal} Listen to the full Out FM interview
Tune in every Monday at 11am EST or subscribe to their podcast.
