Promoting the critical role that self-care, community, and wellness play in the trans and non-binary community.
Throughout Lachlan’s own journey, they have experienced isolation first-hand and felt the need for community support. They quickly learned the importance of self-care and a positive headspace.
At Schmidt’s, we understand the need for support within a community and how small actions of self-care can have a big impact on your mental health and wellness. By partnering with the Trans Justice Funding Project, we can help support those fighting to be their most authentic selves, including those living in communities where they might otherwise feel isolated.
The trans justice movement is working to mobilize trans and allied communities into action around important issues, including education, employment, health care and basic needs, incarceration, immigration, disability rights, policy reform, racial and economic justice, art and culture, and coalition building. The movement is based in the right to self-determine gender and gender expression, free from violence and oppression.
While society has made great strides in LGBTQI+ acceptance from the time of the Stonewall Riots 50 years ago, there’s still so much work to be done. Today, very little funding goes to LGBTQI+ organizations, even less to trans justice work, and even less to grassroots, local work. The Trans Justice Funding Project(Opens in a new window) (TJFP) is a community-led funding initiative that invests in trans communities who are making decisions by and for themselves.
Since their founding in 2012, TJFP has received 877 applications, given 717 grants through their community-led process, and distributed more than $1.9 million to trans groups. Each year, TJFP puts together a geographically diverse, intergenerational, multi-ability, multi-racial panel of passionate trans justice activists to make grant decisions. The organization thinks differently about funding — moving money to their communities efficiently and effectively, primarily because these groups have more important work to do, and they do it every single day.
TJFP’s funds are also unrestricted, meaning they don’t tell their grantees what to do with the money nor do they place any conditions on their grants. When they read their grant applications, TJFP remembers that grassroots work is not only about justice programming, but about the seemingly trivial and mundane work (think: bills, computers, staffing) that goes into helping a group that feels isolated have the confidence they need to bring their voice to the table.
Thanks to an increase in applications, and a strengthened effort for more fundraising, more trans leaders are bringing communities together, building coalitions, and creating safe and creative spaces to exist. Funding these powerful dreams helps spread messages of love, diversity, empowerment, and respect to those feeling isolated in their communities.
When many voices unite as one, we can truly make a difference. Here’s a state by state list of trans led orgs to which you can donate.
(Words by Schmidt’s)
