I have spent most of the last few months thinking and learning about the safety and security of our communities. My thoughts seem to be coming from a place of fear and anxiety, perhaps because of the visceral desire to have some kind of action plan amidst uncertainty and chaos. Among the many thoughts and feelings, I have been dwelling on the questions: 

• What do queer safety and security look like in practice? 
• What do queer safety and security feel like to me?

Queer safety and security are defined by freedom. Not only are queer safety and security defined by being free from threats and dangers, they are also grounded in the freedom to choose how we want to live our lives. The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice grounds our work in pursuit of liberation so that protection and safety work is not an end in itself, but it facilitates our communities’ joy, choice, and connection.  

Expressing our whole selves is intrinsic to queer safety and security. We feel safe and secure when all parts of us are recognized and protected. Each of us faces threats and dangers in all realms of our lives, including physical, psychological, digital, structural, financial, and relational ones. The Astraea Foundation recognizes that the solutions we support must use a holistic security approach that considers how all these realms are interrelated. Queer safety and security consider who we are as people and how we fit within our communities.

Community is essential to queer safety and security. Typical discussions about protection and safety tend to isolate a person, assuming that extracting a person out of a dangerous situation is sufficient. The Astraea Foundation’s deep experience supporting grassroots organizations and activists shows that those who are deeply connected with their past and deeply rooted in their communities are far more resilient and capable of navigating hostile environments and political volatility. A holistic approach to security is central to the maintenance of our collective well-being, as harm against marginalized groups is always part of a larger social context. Queer communities have been fostering holistic security through the creation of safe spaces since their inception, and, in increasingly hostile environments, the cultivation of safe spaces is a political act that strengthens our movements.

The Astraea Foundation will be examining queer safety and security through the end of the year, exploring its need, potential, and future. Will you step up to support the holistic security of the Astraea Foundation’s grantee partners today?  

In Solidarity,

Joy Chia (she/her) | Executive Director

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