Letter from a Grantee: TRANSSA Astraea grantee partner, TRANSSA Dominicana, recently took to the streets in Santo Domingo, capital city of the Dominican Republic, to protest years of hate violence against trans people. Though initially funded solely for HIV/AIDS prevention, as a result of Astraea support this human rights organization has been able to accelerate its social....[more]  Astraea Coast to Coast  Astraea events are buzzing from coast-to-coast! From film premieres to house parties, book readings to cocktail receptions, the range of events exemplified Astraea’s philosophy—bringing...[more] Astraea Announces Addition to Program Team  Astraea is proud to announce that Miles Goff, currently the Executive Assistant at Astraea, will be joining our Program Team as Program Associate this fall. “Miles has proved invaluable over the past three years,” said Executive Director, Katherine Acey. “Now his deep experience with Astraea and the field of social justice philanthropy will be a wonderful addition to our Program staff.”...[more] • Watch Interviews with Executive Director • Work at Astraea • Grantees in the News • Join us on Facebook |
Esperanza: Deep Roots for Justice The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center appears to be as old as the city of San Antonio—so grounded in community and deeply involved with people of so many generations. This is a remarkable feat for a 20-year-old organization run by queer women of color in a conservative city, home to media conglomerate Clear Channel, five military bases and five conservative religious missions. In this environment, the Esperanza has created a vital haven for progressive activism. Their 10,000 square-foot cultural center, a former machinery shop bought and paid for completely through community support in just six years, serves as the launchpad for their citywide work. It is a force to contend with, mobilizing for civil rights and economic justice for LGBTI people, low income families, women...[more] Astraea Fuels Movements  Transformation happens gradually, not over the course of a single year and not necessarily around a single issue. That’s why Astraea’s Multi-Year Movement-Building Initiative makes significant grants over several years—money activists can count on to make a long-term impact. Over the past three years, Astraea has invested more than $3 million in a growing pool of grantee partners who demonstrate significant leadership and creative strategies for social change within and beyond LGBT communities. Since movements are built with more than money, Astraea also convenes these activists. At the most recent convening in San Antonio, Texas, 40 impassioned leaders shared strategies, cemented alliances and collaborated to launch new initiatives...[more]Astraea Honors Emerging Lesbian Writers  Astraea is proud to announce our Lesbian Writers Fund awardees. A distinguished panel of writers reviewed submissions from 300 talented applicants and awarded a total of $26,600 to twelve lesbians whose work in fiction and poetry shows extraordinary promise. This year’s panelists were: Samiya Bashir, Staceyann Chin, Achy Obejas and Nancy Rawles. A donor-endowed fund at Astraea, Skip’s Sappho Fund, made a portion of these awards possible...[more]Faces of Astraea (l to r): Dulce Reyes, Program Officer, International Fund for Sexual Minorities; Lohanna Berkins, founder of Asociación Lucha por la Identidad Travesti y Transexual, Buenos Aries, Argentina; Performance, Mujres Al Borde, Bogota, Columbia |
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