Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
Member Fund
7th Floor
New York, NY 10003
United States
Astraea is a dynamic global foundation providing crucially needed financial support to lesbian-led, trans, LGBTI and progressive organizations.
Separated by continents, language and culture, Astraea grantees are seizing opportunities, and laying the groundwork necessary for women and LGBTI people to claim their human rights.
Astraea staff, board, members and grantees all share a deep commitment to feminist principles, racial and economic justice and human rights.
The Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice works for social, racial and economic justice in the U.S. and internationally. Our grantmaking and philanthropic advocacy programs help lesbians and allied communities challenge oppression and claim their human rights.
In pursuing our mission, we:
- Raise and disburse funds to programs and initiatives that directly benefit or serve our diverse constituencies.
- Expand the community of individuals and institutions that support lesbian issues.
- Promote community-building, capacity building, and movement-building.
- Educate individuals about money, philanthropic giving, and the role of grantmaking in achieving common goals.
Astraea's Grantmaking Programs:
In our 2005-06 grantmaking year, Astraea made close to 200 grants totaling more than $1.3 million dollars to 168 organizations in 93 cities and 42 countries around the world. We are proud to partner with our grantee partners, donor members and broader communities to fund social change and build communities advancing social, racial, economic and gender justice in the U.S. and globally.
Lesbian Visual Arts Project:
Astraea's Visual Arts Committee promotes awareness of contemporary lesbian artists and their work in the lesbian community by organizing workshops, studio visits and additional educational activities. The committee also commissions renowned lesbian artists to create limited-edition prints which benefit Astraea's work. The first three prints in the series were contributed by Deborah Kass, Joan Snyder and Miriam Hernandez.
Philanthropic Advocacy:
To ensure that lesbians have an articulate and well-informed advocate within all levels of the philanthropic community, Astraea maintains an active presence in a number of associations.
Astraea is a founding and current board member of Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues. We also serve on the board of the International Network of Women's Funds, National Network of Grantmakers, Grantmakers Without Borders, and The International Human Rights Funders Group. Astraea is a member of the Women's Funding Network and sits on its advisory committee for the Women Making History program.
Additionally, Astraea participates with organizations and grantee committees by developing and participating in workshops and plenaries on a wide range of issues including human rights, and fundraising.
Project and Geographic Focus: Raising Public Awareness of Sexual Minorities in Jamaica
Partner Organization: Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG)
The terror of living as a lesbian, all-sexual, or gay man in Jamaica is very real. In the past five years, more than 30 gay men have been murdered. In 2001, a gay man was shot and killed as he sought refuge in a churchyard. A man's throat was slashed and his arm cut by a machete. In 1997, a condom distribution plan at a Kingston prison so enraged inmates, that they set fire to and murdered 16 of their fellow prisoners. J-FLAG was established the next year.
J-FLAG works toward a Jamaican society in which the human rights and equality of all, regardless of sexual orientation, are guaranteed. The group made history in 2001 when they formally lobbied the Joint Select Committee of Jamaica's Parliament to add "sexual orientation" to the anti-discrimination clause of the Charter of Rights Bill. While the proposed change was denied, the group continues to lobby government. Repeal of the Gross Indecency Law, which can be used to make any acts of intimacy between members of the same sex illegal (including holding hands), has become the primary goal of J-FLAG's legal reform efforts.
J-FLAG is also active in helping lesbians, all-sexuals, and gay men seek legal asylum. In 2002, the British Government granted asylum to two gay men.
Astraea's grant of $20,000 was made through the Social Change Opportunity Fund for a three-year campaign to raise public awareness of issues faced by sexual minorities in Jamaica.
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