Bookda moved to the U.S. from Iran in 1980. She has been living in Seattle for 27 years. A Social Worker by personal direction and formal training, for more than 30 years, Bookda has fought for racial equity and social justice. She is deeply passionate about creating systemic, transformational change, and has a proven track record of grounding her work within communities that are most impacted by racial and economic inequities. She is Senior Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Port of Seattle, where she is leading efforts to create a culture of inclusivity and belonging, to ensure the fair and intentional distribution of resources and opportunities, and to expand economic development and quality of life for all.
Archives: Team
Natasha Jiménez
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. She has also been part of publications including “What is the Point of a Revolution if I Can’t Dance” by Jane Barry and Jelena Dordevic, “Interdicciones” by Mauro Cabral, and “INTER/ Experiencia Humana Intersexual en un mundo de dos sexos” by Elisa Barth, Ben Bӧttger, Dan Chistian Ghattas and Ina Shneider.
Dan Christian Ghattas
Dan Christian Ghattas, PhD, is the Executive Director of Organisation Intersex International Europe (OII Europe). He started advocating for intersex human rights in Europe in 2009 and has since provided expertise to governments, EU and CoE and UN treaty bodies. He was one of the initiators of the 1st International Intersex Forum (2011), co-authored the Malta Declaration in 2013 and is a co-founder and former co-chair of OII Europe. In 2013, he compiled the first empirical (pre-)study on the life situations of intersex individuals worldwide, Human Rights Between the Sexes, covering 12 countries and most continents. In 2016, he authored the ILGA-Europe/ OII Europe Intersex Toolkit Standing up for intersex human rights – How can you help? and in 2019 the ILGA-Europe/ OII Europe legal toolkit Protecting intersex people in Europe. A toolkit for law and policy makers. With digital appendix and checklist. Since 2015, he is the European Advisor for the Astraea Intersex Human Rights Fund, since 2016 Bridge Advisor for the Disability Rights Fund and since 2019 member of the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation Advisory Board.
Hiker Chiu
Hiker Chiu is a senior Asian intersex activist, a Ph.D. candidate of the Graduate school of Human Sexuality Shu–Te University who is currently based in Taiwan. S/he is the Co–chair of Intersex Asia –a regional network of intersex organizations. Hiker is a pioneer of the intersex human rights movement in the Asian region. S/he founded OII–Chinese in 2008. OII –Chinese is the 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. The only Asian delegate in the first and second World Intersex Forums held by ILGA, and the UNHRC expert meeting on human rights of intersex persons. Hiker is devoted to building intersex connections in Asia. S/he has been an active voice in international organizations and has engaged with the global intersex human rights movement. Currently, s/he serves as a member of the advisory board of the Intersex Human Rights Fund at Astraea Foundation for Lesbian Justice.
Katherine Acey
Katherine Acey served as the Executive Director of Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice for twenty-three years (1987 – 2010). Under her stewardship Astraea established the nation’s first Lesbian Writers Fund in 1990, created the International Fund for Sexual Minorities in 1996 and in 2006 launched the U.S. Movement Building Initiative to support people of color LGBTQ organizations to collectively build their power and voice. From 1982 – 1987 Katherine was the Associate Director of the North Star Fund in New York City, overseeing its grants programs and participating in donor engagement and fundraising. She was involved in the Women’s Funding Network since its inception, serving as a founding board member and chair. She is also a founding member and past chair of the Funders for LGBT Issues and has served as a board or advisory member to countless organizations. Current affiliations include: Board Member and Treasurer for both the International Network of Women’s Funds and Political Research Associates; Steering Committee, Public Foundations Project; Advisory Committee, Pipeline Project; and Advisory Committee, OSF LGBT Initiative. Until her departure from Astraea she served on the Steering Committee of the Global Philanthropy Project: Expanding Resources for LGBT People. The Women’s Funding Network honored Katherine for her leadership in building a multi-cultural women’s funding movement. Other honors include the Cross Cultural Black Women’s Studies Institute for International Women’s Leadership Award, the NYC National Organization for Women Susan B. Anthony Award, the Women & Philanthropy LEAD Award, the FEX Vision Award for achievements in social justice, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Liberty Award and the Women e-news 21 Leaders for the 21stCentury Award.
Simone Williams
Simone Williams is a renaissance woman with a background in social activism and philanthropy. As an immigrant, it has been a life-long mission for her to create work and support causes that better the lives of marginalized populations. During her tenure at Astraea, she has built HR into a department that is people focused. With a BS in Magazine Journalism from Florida A&M University, she spends time painting pictures through her writing, creating art through photography, providing the soundtrack to lives through djing, and living her dream of being a martial artist through jiu-jitsu.
Robin Wilby
Robin Wilby is an award-winning NYC based filmmaker who is deeply committed to social activism through storytelling. They graduated cum laude with a BA in Visual Media from American University and received their MFA with honors from Columbia University. Robin’s thesis film, Loop Planes, won numerous awards, including a production grant from Killer Films (known for challenging, thought-provoking movies, such as Boys Don’t Cry) and was an official selection at over fifty festivals, worldwide. Previously, they were a mentor for LGBTQI youth, as well as a documentary filmmaking teacher at a NYC middle school, emphasizing the importance of using documentaries as platforms for social change. In addition to working at Astraea, Robin is currently in post-production on an independent feature-length documentary surrounding the intentional communities begun by several trans* identified teenagers.
