Hundreds Gather to Fuel the Frontlines of LGBTQI Grassroots Activism

Over 200 of you showed up for a soul-stirring performance by Meshell Ndegeocello and to celebrate the LGBTQ Women of the Obama Administration and Ruby Corado.

Last night was spectacular! Thank you to everyone who joined us in D.C. for the 2016 Fueling the Frontlines Awards!

Over 200 of you showed up for a soul-stirring performance by Meshell Ndegeocello and to celebrate the LGBTQ Women of the Obama Administration and Ruby Corado. Together we raised over $100,000––a new event record––to help fuel our global network of activists who are working on the frontlines of LGBTQI human rights.

Heartfelt thanks to our Host Committee, Board and Campaign Council, all of our sponsors, silent auction donors, a fleet of committed volunteers, and everyone who made last night possible.

Let’s keep the energy going! Here are a few easy ways you can stay engaged with Astraea:

DonateMake a gift to Astraea, or become a monthly donor and help sustain LGBTQI bravery and brilliance where it is needed the most.
Spread the Word – Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Stay InformedSign up for our newsletter.

Thank you for all you do to keep our communities vibrant, strong, and ready to fight for justice!

Warmly,

The Astraea Team

Join us for Dinner and Drinks in West Hollywood

Please join us Tuesday January 31st, 2017 from 6-8 pm at the home of Moez Kaba & Bjorn Lundberg, for an evening of great conversation, wine and hors d’oeuvres with Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.

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.

Please join us Tuesday January 31st, 2017 from 6-8 pm at the home of Moez Kaba & Bjorn Lundberg, for an evening of great conversation, wine and hors d’oeuvres with Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.

Learn about Astraea’s unique history, core values and strategies for 2017, as we lean into work that fuels and funds our grantee partners’ ability to effectively navigate the changing LGBTQI landscape.

January 31st promises to be a wonderful evening. We hope to see you there.

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

 

HEIGHTENED LGBT VIOLENCE IN THE CARIBBEAN AND CAMEROON

A common issue faced by Colombian trans women is extremely high levels of violence: between 2008 and 2013, the number of murders of trans people in Colombia was fourth-highest in the world. Despite these deaths and other violent assaults, no one person has been charge.

“A common issue faced by Colombian trans women is extremely high levels of violence: between 2008 and 2013, the number of murders of trans people in Colombia was fourth-highest in the world.” Despite these deaths and other violent assaults, no one person has been charged, according to Santamaría Fundación’s Director of Institutional Processes, Déborah Skenassy. “Trans women don’t have access to health or justice because our bodies aren’t legitimized. We exist at the margins of the state.”

The police, she adds, are often part of the problem, denying help or arresting trans women without justification. Santamaría Fundación has documented 150 accounts of police abuse that have so far been ignored by superiors.

LGBT ISSUES DISCUSSED AT FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND U.N. MEETING

A common issue faced by Colombian trans women is extremely high levels of violence: between 2008 and 2013, the number of murders of trans people in Colombia was fourth-highest in the world…

A common issue faced by Colombian trans women is extremely high levels of violence: between 2008 and 2013, the number of murders of trans people in Colombia was fourth-highest in the world. Despite these deaths and other violent assaults, no one person has been charged, according to Santamaría Fundación’s Director of Institutional Processes, Déborah Skenassy. Trans women don’t have access to health or justice because our bodies aren’t legitimized. We exist at the margins of the state.”

The police, she adds, are often part of the problem, denying help or arresting trans women without justification. Santamaría Fundación has documented 150 accounts of police abuse that have so far been ignored by superiors.

To counter this trend, Santamaría Fundación met with 35 trans women to discuss recent violations by the police. Their recommendations comprised a formal proposal to be presented by members of Santamaría Fundación to Cali’s police captain. Santamaría Fundación builds trans women’s leadership by offering programs like the escuela de formación políica, or political education. Twice a month the initiative brings together about 40 women of diverse ages and ethnicities to explore topics such as civil rights, sexuality and gender diversity, and political participation.

Astraea is Santamaría Fundación’s most constant funder and the only one providing general operating support. Astraea has funded Santamaría Fundación for 4 years (2011-2014). demo

2016 Astraea & FRIDA CSW Party

Join Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice and FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund to celebrate the brave and creative activism that shapes our world around the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Come to the Astraea office to meet and connect with Astraea and FRIDA’s grantee partners, allies and communities.

Thursday, March 17, 2016
7:00 pm – 9:30 pm, with a short program at 8 pm.

Please RSVP here!

Location:
Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
116 East 16th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10003
(near Union Square, 4/5/6 and N/R/Q subway lines)

**Please note that the event time has been changed to 7:00pm – 9:30 pm to encourage folks to support the earlier rally to demand justice for Bertha Caceres from 5-7:30 pm **

Astraea and Charis Books Present a Conversation on Feminism and Philanthropy

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.

Join us in Atlanta at Charis Books on Wednesday, June 22, 2016!
We know that all organizations and activists need resources–be they time, talent, or treasure–to be effective, but we also know that as feminists we are sometimes unsure about how to navigate a just path through the world of philanthropy, grants, and asking for resources. Charis is excited to welcome Zakiya J. Lord, who is the Regional Development and Engagement Officer for the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice to help lead community members in a discussion about our experiences organizing and fundraising for feminist, LGBTQ, and Racial Justice, and other causes in Atlanta. We invite all people who are interested in talking about philanthropy, people who think of themselves as “scared to fundraise,” people who consider themselves donors, and everyone in-between to join us in this discussion and also learn more about how Astraea is doing its work in the South and around the world.
If you are a member of a group or organization, please feel free to bring materials about your organization. We will spend time after the event sharing resources about what’s happening in Atlanta.
Charis is excited to welcome Astraea’s Zakiya Lord to help lead community members in a discussion about our experiences organizing and fundraising for feminist, LGBTQ, and Racial Justice, and other causes in Atlanta.

Why We Fund

Come hear about who, where and why we fund.

Why We Fund…

Astraea is freedom’s investment plan.

Come hear about who, where and why we fund.

February 15, 2018, 5:30-7:00pm
Astraea’s offices, NYC

Between the Ages: A Conversation With Aaryn Lang and Katherine Acey
More info
RSVP here

March 14, 2018
Astraea’s offices, NYC

CommsLabs and Digital Security
featuring CommsLabs trainers and Digital Security activists
RSVP here

April 11, 2018
Astraea’s offices, NYC
Healing Justice
featuring Healing Justice Activists
RSVP here

May 9, 2018
Astraea’s offices, NYC
Intersex Organizing
featuring an activist from Astraea’s Intersex Human Rights Fund
RSVP here

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!

Meet the Activists: Intersex Human Rights

In 2015, the Astraea Foundation launched the world’s first Intersex Human Rights Fund.

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Join us at the Astraea office in New York City to connect with international advisors and grantee partners of the Astraea Intersex Fund! We’ll highlight the work that intersex activists are doing around the world, as an incredible year for intersex human rights comes to a close.

In 2015, the Astraea Foundation launched the world’s first Intersex Human Rights Fund with the generous support of seed donors Kobi Conaway and Andrew Owen and a leadership gift from the Arcus Foundation. In our inaugural 2015 grants cohort, we are proud to support 29 intersex-led grantee partners in 21 countries working to ensure the human rights, bodily autonomy, physical integrity and self-determination of intersex people worldwide.

Read more about each of the panelists below!

HIKER CHIU
Based in Taiwan
Advisor and Grantee Partner
Hiker Chiu is the founder of OII-Chinese since 2008. Oii-Chinese is a platform for Chinese-speaking intersex people to get information, awareness, connection and peer support, and an intersex human rights advocacy organization. Hiker Chiu was the first person to come out as intersex in Taiwan, initiating the “Global Free Hugs with Intersex Movement” in the 8th Taipei Pride Parade 2010. Hiker is devoted to work building intersex connections in Asia. Hiker is a PhD. candidate of the Graduate school of Human Sexuality Shu-Te University in Taiwan.

NATASHA JIMENEZ
Based in Costa Rica
Advisor and Grantee Partner
Natasha Jiménez is from Costa Rica and has been a trans and intersex activist for over 20 years. She is currently the General Coordinator for Mulabi in Costa Rica, which hosts the Intersex Secretariat for ILGA (the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association). She has been active at the LGBTTTI Coalition of the OAS and has done advocacy work at the UN denouncing violations of the rights of trans and intersex people in Latin America. She started her activism doing HIV/AIDS and STI prevention and care, and has been active in feminist, women’s and LGBT movements in Latin America.

MORGAN CARPENTER
Based in Australia
Advisor and Grantee Partner
Morgan Carpenter is a social policy and technology policy researcher, intersex activist, and president of OII Australia, a national organization that promotes human rights and bodily autonomy for intersex people. Morgan engages in advocacy work at local, national and international levels, and has helped to secure intersex-inclusive national anti-discrimination legislation and a world-first Parliamentary report into intersex health and human rights. Morgan has been widely published and speaks internationally on intersex issues.

MIRIAM J. VAN DER HAVE
Based in the Netherlands
Grantee Partner
Miriam van der Have is President and founder of the Stichting Nederlands Netwerk Intersekse/DSD (NNID) and Co-Chair of OII Europe. NNID, founded in 2013, works on advocacy, equality and empowerment of people with an intersex variations in the Netherlands.

ARISLEYDA DILONE
Based in the United States
Grantee Partner
Arisleyda Dilone is an emergent screenwriter and filmmaker based in New York City. She holds an MA degree in International Relations and Government from St. John’s University and a BA degree in Italian: Language and Civilization from Southern Connecticut State University. Arisleyda just finished her short film Mami, Y Yo Y mi Gallito, which revolves on a feature length film conversation with her mom about her body. She is currently working on a feature length film that will include the voices of outside forces as she seeks to understand her identity as an intersex woman and a Dominican-American.

MAURO CABRAL
Based in Argentina
Advisor
Mauro Cabral is an intersex and trans activist from Argentina. At this moment he serves as the Co-Director of GATE (Global Action for Trans* Equality). Previously, he coordinated the project “Intersex and Human Rights” at Mulabi – Espacio Latinoamericano de Sexualidades y Derechos (2007-2009) and, before that, the Latin America and Caribbean Trans and Intersex Area at IGHLRC (2005-2007). In 2006 he participated in the production of the Yogyakarta Principles and in 2009 he edited the book Interdicciones. Escrituras de la Intersexualidad en castellano. He lives in Buenos Aires.