As we reflect on LGBTQI+ History Month this October, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice is deeply proud of our place in queer history.
In 1977, our founding mothers gathered around a kitchen table in New York City to start one of the first women’s foundations in the world. As a small group of progressive women, we started working to address the critical lack of funding for feminist organizing, specifically for lesbians and women of color. We began by making small grants to lesbian activists and artists from diverse cultural, racial, and class backgrounds who were organizing locally. Rooted in intersectional feminist values, our mission grew to encompass trans, intersex, and international struggles over the following decades. We are deeply thankful for the opportunity to contribute to LGBTQI+ liberation over the last 47 years.
Today we continue to push queer history forward through our innovative grantmaking. We are deeply grateful to our founding mothers’ foresight and the global activists who continue to lead the way towards justice and liberation.
We are thrilled to have collaborated with artist Hannah Good to create this beautiful illustration. Please visit her website and follow her on social media @hannahgoodart to learn more.
