As we reach the end of the year and begin to plan gifts for friends, loved ones, and colleagues — while simultaneously processing yet another year of living through the collective trauma of a pandemic — you may be searching for a gift that doesn’t involve putting money back into exploitative and unethical systems and businesses. Or maybe you’re planning your end-of-year donations, and are looking to shift some of your money from bigger nonprofits with huge overheads to the pockets of people who need it in your community.
Whether you’re planning your annual holiday donations, donating as a gift for a loved one, or simply looking for somewhere to spread extra cash at any time of year, consider the below causes, each of which are dedicated to giving back to the LGBTQ+ community in ways that can change lives. From providing holiday gifts for trans children in need to mutual aid funds that put money directly in the pockets of queer people, these causes are making a unique and necessary impact in the lives of queer people who need it most.
LGBTQ+ Support
2021 broke records for attacks on trans folks, both in state legislatures and on the streets. In addition to the 100+ bills attempting to bar trans youth from sports and restrict their access to gender-affirming medical care, this year has already broken last year’s previously record high of 44 reported killings of trans and gender-nonconforming people. Of course, these violent incidents often go unreported — meaning that the real total is likely much higher.
In the face of this onslaught of violence, it’s important to recognize that money and resources can be an important way of addressing violence, whether that’s by ensuring that people have a roof over their head at night, money for gas so they can drive to work or doctor’s appointments, or warm clothes for the winter. These are just some of the organizations helping to provide these necessary things to queer and trans people this holiday season.
Transanta — Launched last year by organizers Kyle Lasky, Chase Strangio, and Pose star Indya Moore, Transanta is a social media-based gift giving campaign that lets trans youth submit wishlists that anyone can purchase items for them from. The campaign went viral last December, ultimately sending over $400,000 worth of gifts and support to trans youth. More recently, the group drew support from Ariana Grande to help support youth in states where anti-trans legislation was introduced. (Organizers will be launching this year’s program soon — stay tuned and follow them on Instagram in the meantime!)
Black & Pink — Black & Pink is a LGBTQ+-led organization devoted to prison abolition, working to liberate LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS who are incarcerated or otherwise affected by incarceration. Their programs include housing support services for LGBTQ+ people impacted by incarceration in states across the U.S., youth leadership programs, pen pal programs, and more.
For the Gworls — For the Gworls is a Black trans-led collective that raises money to cover things like rent, gender-affirming care, and more for Black trans people. What began as a Brooklyn-based party series to raise funds for friends has become a project that has raised over $1 million for Black trans people in the U.S. and worldwide.
G.L.I.T.S. — G.L.I.T.S. is a trans-led organization providing asylum assistance, housing, and other support services to trans community members in New York. Last year the organization made history when founder Ceyenne Doroshow opened the first residential housing complex by and for the LGBTQ+ community owned by a Black trans woman in New York City.
These are just a few of the many trans-focused organizations we could include, some of which we’ve previously spotlighted at them., like the For Our Sibs collective in Atlanta, the Trans Asylum Seeker Support Network based in Western Massachusetts, the TransLatin@ Coalition in Los Angeles, and more.
International Aid/Asylum Seekers
This year saw myriad threats to human rights worldwide. From Afghanistan to Palestine, state violence still impacts queer rights and liberation worldwide. These organizations are supporting vulnerable groups in places where their human rights are at risk, whether by securing passage to freedom or providing material on-the-ground support.
Rainbow Railroad — Rainbow Railroad is an NGO that supports LGBTQ+ people who are escaping state violence around the globe. Since this past summer’s Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the group has been supporting LGBTQ+ people on the ground in the country, where they have faced increased hostility.
Women for Afghan Women — The recent Taliban takeover has also resulted in marked restrictions on women’s rights in the country. Women for Afghan Women provides resources for Afghan women both on the ground in Afghanistan as well as for evacuees once they arrive in the U.S.
Immigration Equality — While based in the U.S., Immigragion Equality supports LGBTQ+ asylum seekers from around the world by offering legal aid. The group provides pro-bono legal advice and representation, as well as a direct hotline for LGBTQ and HIV-positive people in detention.
Abortion Access
Enacted in September, Texas’s infamous S.B. 8 ban ensured that those seeking abortions in the Lone Star State have to travel farther and pay more to obtain them — a burden that falls particularly hard on lower income people, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people. The nationwide reversal of Roe v. Wade — which advocates warn could be in the near future — would be devastating for LGBTQ+ folks, who can often lack resources necessary to access comprehensive reproductive health care. These funds help provide support for everything from transportation to childcare to the actual procedure, for those who can’t afford it or who live in abortion deserts without easy access to reproductive health care.
National Network of Abortion Funds — Abortion funds are local grassroots organizations providing direct support to people who need abortions around the country, whether that means paying for transportation or for the procedure itself. Through the National Network of Abortion Funds, you can find your local abortion fund and help support people who need abortions in your area.
Donate to Abortion Funds and Pro-Choice Legal Groups — Depending on where you live, you may rather your money go to funds in states that are more affected than yours. This ActBlue portal will split your donation between several funds in states like Texas, Mississippi, and more, where safe and local abortion care can be harder to find.
LGBTQ+ Community Support
Community-centered care is more important than ever, in moments of crisis. With this in mind, we’re including resources to help you connect with people doing good work on the ground in your community, and support people in your communities yourself — whether that’s supporting your neighbors or fellow trans and queer folks around the world.
Mutual Aid Hub — Grounded in radical and queer histories, mutual aid systems involve working cooperatively to meet the needs of everyone in your community, without relying on charity-based models. This online hub can help you find local mutual aid networks to get involved with, and community fridges to contribute to.
#TransCrowdFund — Another way to support trans people directly is by finding supporting crowdfunding efforts. The #TransCrowdFund hashtag is a source for these; you can help cover someone’s top surgery, overdue electricity bill, hormones, rent, or any other necessities.
Find your local LGBT center — Many of the targeted attacks on trans youth that took place across the nation this year were localized — taking place not just in state legislatures, but in school board meetings and town halls. Local LGBTQ+ organizations and community centers can provide invaluable support for youth who are impacted by these policy attacks.
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