LGBTQ+ Giving Opportunities
While there has been growing acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people across the globe, they still face enormous challenges, which vary tremendously depending on geography. In the U.S., 6 in 10 LGBTQ+ people reported discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity in 2021(1). Transgender individuals face the greatest discrimination and civil rights violations, such as policies that ban them from using restrooms and playing sports. LGBTQ+ people in southern states and more rural areas of the country in particular face some of the harshest discrimination.
The pandemic exacerbated the hurdles that the LQBTQ+ community already faces, including in the Bay Area, where community centers and arts organizations that provide essential health, social services, and community programming designed for the LGBTQ+ community had a hard time keeping their doors open. This resulted in increased isolation for already disadvantaged young people, people of color, transgender individuals, and older adults in the LGBTQ+ community.
Life in Israel poses a different set of pressures due to the religious nature of much of Israeli society. Ongoing and pervasive use of conversion therapy is still a reality in certain communities in Israel. Both Jewish and Arab LGBTQ+ people often are left isolated and estranged from their family and community support, making it especially difficult to “come out.”
We highly recommend the organizations listed in this guide, which work to address the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ communities in the Bay Area, nationally, and in Israel. These organizations were curated by our professional philanthropic advisors and informed by the organizations supported by Federation donor-advised funds and our Jewish Pride Fund, a giving circle of The Federation. We encourage you to consider supporting these organizations as part of your giving strategy.
If you are interested in opening a Federation donor-advised fund to facilitate your giving, start here.
Learn more about the Pride Fund, an LGBTQ+ giving circle.
(1) GLAAD, “Accelerating Acceptance 2021”.https://www.glaad.org/publications/accelerating-acceptance-2021
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