We get it. It’s hard enough to survive another year, but to make resolutions for the next one, too? It’s a lot. And whether you’re trying out veganism or trying to get more organized, goals set to guide the new year often fall off within weeks.
So this year, why not resolve to improve both yourself and your community by donating time, money, resources, or some combination thereof to LGBTQ+ nonprofits? Even the smallest actions have big impacts, which means you can stick to your resolutions and these groups can benefit from your help throughout the year.
Of course, there are large, high-profile organizations working to create a safer, more inclusive world, including GLSEN, which works to make K-12 schools safer and more inclusive for LGBTQ+ kids, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which advocates on behalf of trans, intersex, or gender-nonconforming low-income people and people of color, and The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention org. There are also smaller organizations whose work deserves highlighting, only a few of which follow. No matter your location or finances, you can offer support. Even a follow or share on social media can go a long way.
With the 2020 election looming, policymakers in the U.S. seem hellbent on ripping apart as much of our hard-won progress as possible. We face major decisions concerning the LGBTQ+ community and an administration that seems content with the planet dying. But there is hope, and these orgs are leading the way.
OUT4S is a queer nonprofit dedicated to bridging LGBTQ+ issues with environmental ones. Since the group was founded in 2008 — largely because, at the time, there was nothing else like it — it has aimed to mobilize queer and trans activists around sustainability causes at local, state, and national levels. You can volunteer with one of their partners (listed here), follow their guidelines for simple steps to make Pride events plastic-free, create an Earth Gay service project like a recycling drive or composting workshop, or attend the 2020 Fab Planet Summit in April to learn from experts and make connections with other environmentally-minded queer and trans folks, then use what you learn to rally for sustainable change in your community.
For over 20 years, Immigration Equality has provided free, direct legal services donated by top law firms to LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive immigrants, including asylum seekers, binational couples and families, people detained in immigration facilities, and undocumented queer folks living in the U.S. The group also lobbies congress to pass progressive laws, advocates against discriminatory policies, and trains new asylum officers in the U.S. on queer and HIV immigration law. In addition to volunteering or fundraising, you can apply for an internship to learn legal, organizational or office skills to better your understanding of what’s at stake and how you can help, or, if you speak more than one language fluently, you can volunteer as a translator.
The San Fernando Valley-based Somos Familia Valle was created in 2014 and is led by local, low-income, queer and trans first-generation college students who are people of color and/or immigrants. Through community building events like the annual San Fernando Valley Pride, which the group created and puts on each year, Somos Familia Valle seeks to support local queer and trans people, as well as their families and allies through charity galas, holiday gift drives, community meals, and free HIV testing days. The organization promotes civic engagement, bilingual health education, and community integration, and fights for safer housing and schools, which includes providing training for educators and community leaders. SFV membership is free, and puts you on their email newsletter for information about upcoming events, like those listed above. The SFV website also provides free, shareable education tools, and their Instagram offers event photos, safety warnings, and calls to action including simple asks, like not appropriating harmful slang from groups who have reclaimed it.
TSER is a youth-led organization dedicated to making schools safer and more accessible for trans and gender-nonconforming students. TSER aims to educate the public and train trans activists in effective organizing based on an intersectional framework. In addition to hosting the only national trans youth activist summit, offering scholarships for trans students, and providing leadership training for trans youth, TSER also sends speakers to conferences, provides training for teachers and educators, publishes trans education materials, and creates resources for those seeking to create trans-inclusive policies at their schools. In addition to donating or ordering stickers and buttons through their online store, you can download and distribute TSER’s free infographics (whether online or in print — your choice!) to help educate others, or sign up for their email list for information on when and how you can volunteer.
If you’ve seen Laura Jane Grace wearing her “GENDER IS OVER IF YOU WANT IT” shirt at a show or in photos, you may know that it comes from If You Want It!, a New York-based 501(c)(3) that supports the fight for gender self-determination and bodily sovereignty through community building events and giveaways. The group also sells “gender is over” and “gender is ours” clothing and accessories, proceeds from which are donated to trans orgs that focus on education, youth empowerment, houselessness, mental health, incarceration, and structural racism, including SLRP and Trans Lifeline. You can skip the merch and donate directly to these orgs, or you can grab something for yourself or a friend to grow the IYWI community by having conversations about the slogan.
Over the last decade-plus, this Madison, WI-based org has sent free books and educational materials to more than 9,000 incarcerated LGBTQ+ people all over the U.S. The abolitionist, trans-affirming, and racial justice-focused organization sent out more than 2,500 book packages in 2019 alone, and they keep updated lists of needed books, resource pages, and volunteer information accessible on their website. You can volunteer locally, freely share their resources, assist with database work, fundraise, or work directly with the org to develop a book donation plan. Some of the most highly sought-after books include Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, Redefining Realness by Janet Mock, and Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrew Lawlor, all of which may be languishing on your shelf right now, or available for a low price at a used bookstore.
If you are interested in communicating with incarcerated LGBTQ+ people directly, sign up to be a pen pal through Black & Pink. This abolitionist group organizes and supports currently incarcerated people, and helps formerly incarcerated people re-enter society through its R.E.A.P. program (Restore. Embolden. Amplify. Power.). The organization lists 10 flagship chapters on its website, but you can also sign up to host holiday card-writing parties or meetings, submit requests for incarcerated people to receive the free Black & Pink newsletter, organize for criminal justice reform with its Working Group program, or volunteer to help create and uphold programs and opportunities for formerly incarcerated LGBTQ+ people.
This year is bound to be difficult for queer and trans folks as we attempt to navigate potential futures seemingly narrowed by climate change and the ever-present struggle for justice. The organizations above are just a small handful of those that can use time, resources, and funds in 2020 and beyond. If you’re making resolutions, why not help these groups continue their vital, life-saving work — and resolve to help the LGBTQ+ community at large?
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