Airbnb Trans@ and AirPride LGBTQ+ Allyship Guide
Airbnb is based on connection and belonging, and as part of advancing our mission, we must all work together to create a world where everyone can belong.
The following guide was prepared by Airbnb employee resource groups Trans@ and AirPride, and shared with our employees to deepen our understanding of gender diversity, and the ways we can act in stronger allyship towards the LGBTQ+ community.
Airbnb LGBTQ+ Allyship Guide
Presented by Trans@ and AirPride
Introduction
An ally is any person that actively promotes and aspires to advance inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts. It starts with a willingness to learn about the experiences of others. Then: noticing, asking, or researching where others could benefit from allyship. Finally, an ally provides support in the ways that are suited to their abilities and strengths. Allyship is a constant process; there is always more to learn as the world evolves, and moments when help is needed may arise at any time.
Why should you be an ally to queer people? Queer people are at least 3.5 times more likely to experience violence than their straight, cisgender counterparts. In a recent survey of transgender people, 63% had experienced serious acts of discrimination. Nearly half of transgender people in the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey had been verbally harassed, and 9% had been physically attacked. Queer and trans people experience an enormous amount of violence, ranging from microagressions in their everyday lives, to assault and homicide. We must stand up for the queer people in our lives.
How can you help and be an ally? Read on!
SECTION 1: EVERYDAY ALLYSHIP
Terminology
We’ve included the most common terms in this guide, but please continue researching on your own! You may be able to find more terms at The Trans Language Primer.
LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+ is an initialism used to define and describe a grouping of people that are typically not cisgender or not heterosexual. LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual/biromantic, transgender, and queer. Other letters frequently added to the initialism include I for intersex, A for asexual, aromantic, and/or agender, 2S for Two-Spirit, and P for pansexual and/or panromantic. Alternative terms include queer, GSM (gender and sexual minorities), MOGAI (Marginalized Orientations, Gender Alignments, and Intersex), and more. Although queer people are frequently united under the same umbrella term, there is no single “queer community”. Queer people may experience different struggles and joys, or experience the same issue in different ways. Thus, it is important to include and support all queer/LGBTQ+ people and their allies, while also acknowledging individual differences and being explicit when an issue may impact some groups more than others.
Queer
The word queer can be used to describe anyone who is not heterosexual or cisgender. Queer has historically been used as a slur against non-straight, non-cisgender people (or those perceived to be such), but is being reclaimed by many parts of the LGBTQ+ community.
Biological sex
Biological sex is a medical classification system that categorizes people into a male / female (and sometimes intersex) binary based on five criteria: gonads, chromosomes, genitals, secondary sex characteristics, and hormone levels. Although some people claim that biological sex is binary and immutable, many people can naturally fall outside of this binary and many of these characteristics can be changed through surgery, hormone replacement therapy, or other medical interventions. Claims that biological sex is binary and immutable are made in spite of scientific evidence, and are harmful to trans people. Some people use these ideas to prevent trans people from safely accessing gendered spaces (which, in the case of bathrooms, can effectively remove trans people from public life), to medically discriminate against trans people, or simply to link trans people to a gender they do not identify with in a way that hurts them. For more information about biological sex, you can watch the following videos and follow their citations: “Male and female are binary, but people aren’t” by Riley J. Denis and “Non-binary is Made Up” by Shonalika.
Gender identity
A person’s gender identity is that person’s internal or spiritual sense of their gender. While some people’s gender identities match easily with the sex they were assigned at birth, that is not the case for everyone. When someone’s gender identity doesn’t match their sex assigned at birth, they may identify as transgender. Many people are fairly comfortable labelling themselves as men or women. Other people will have gender identities outside the binary of “male and female”. Unlike gender expression, gender identity is not visible to others.
Gender expression
Gender expression is the external appearance or performance of one’s gender identity, possibly encompassing, but not limited to: behavior, personal style, vocal pitch, inflection, and/or pronouns. Gender expression may or may not match expectations of one’s cultural traditions of gender norms.
Cisgender
A cisgender person is someone who is not transgender or someone whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth. The prefix “cis” comes from Latin and means “on the same side of”.
Transgender
Transgender, or trans, is an umbrella term used to describe people whose gender identity does not match the gender they were assigned at birth. The prefix “trans” comes from Latin and means “across”. Transgender people may identify as female, male, non-binary, agender, and/or with a different gender or set of genders; may or may not have been born with intersex traits; may or may not use gender-neutral pronouns; and may or may not use more specific terms to describe their genders, such as agender, genderqueer, gender fluid, Two Spirit, bigender, pangender, gender non-conforming, or gender variant. Some transgender people medically transition, which may include gender affirming surgeries and/or hormonal treatments, while other transgender people do not pursue any form of medical transition. There is no uniform set of procedures sought by transgender people who pursue medical transition. There is no one way to transition, and someone can be transgender without going through any type of transition.
Intersex
An intersex person is someone whose body does not conform to a binary biological sex, as defined through their gonads, chromosomes, genitals, secondary sex characteristics, and/or hormone levels. They are either born with these differences, or develop them at a young age. Some intersex people are identified and accepted as intersex from birth, but others are subjected to non-consensual surgeries to conform to a binary sex or otherwise don’t learn about their intersex status until adulthood.
Dyadic, endosex, or perisex
Dyadic, endosex, and perisex are all words used to describe people who are not intersex.
Non-binary
Non-binary is an umbrella term for people with gender identities that fall somewhere outside of the traditional conceptions of strictly either female or male. People with non-binary gender identities may or may not identify as transgender, may or may not have been born with intersex traits, may or may not use gender-neutral pronouns, and may or may not use more specific terms to describe their genders, such as agender, genderqueer, gender fluid, Two-Spirit, bigender, pangender, gender non-conforming, or gender variant. Non-binary gender identities have been recognized by cultures throughout history and around the world, as well as by legal systems in the United States and other countries, medical authorities, and researchers.
Gender non-conforming
Gender non-conforming people are individuals who do not conform to stereotypes or traditional expectations of their gender in their culture. This could be due to their gender expression, gendered roles and behaviors, or any other aspect of gender. Being gender non-conforming is different from being trans, and both cis and trans people can be gender non-conforming.
Gender transition
Gender transition is a process that some people undergo in order to better match their gender expression with their gender identity. Every person’s transition will look different, but might include: changing one’s name and/or pronouns, wearing different clothes, taking hormone treatments, undergoing gender-affirming surgery, altering one’s speech or mannerisms, or changing hairstyles. This list is not exhaustive, nor is any one change more or less indicative of a “gender transition” given individual variations and choices.
Gender dysphoria
Gender dysphoria is a sense of discomfort, pain, or unhappiness that some people experience in relation to gendered aspects of their life. Gender dysphoria is sometimes differentiated into physical dysphoria, where the discomfort is due to part of your body, and social dysphoria, where the discomfort is due to how people or systems treat you. Not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria.
Gender euphoria
Gender euphoria is a sense of joy, ease, or happiness that some people experience in relation to gendered aspects of their life. Some examples include, but are not limited to: feeling alive in a body with gendered parts (or lack thereof), being called by the correct name or pronouns, being able to select your gender on a form, having access to identification that correctly identifies your gender, wearing clothes or hairstyles that affirm your gender, and/or being accepted as your gender by people in your community. Anyone can experience gender euphoria, however you do not need to experience gender euphoria to be cisgender, to be transgender, or to be the gender that you are.
Pronouns
Gender pronouns, or pronouns, describe words we use in place of someone’s name when speaking about them. In English, third person pronouns (including but not limited to: she, he, they, fae) often have gendered associations. Many people find that the way others speak about them consistently matches the way they perceive themselves and their gender. However, some people find that the pronouns others use for them are frequently incorrect, and may choose to explicitly share the set or sets of pronouns that affirm their gender. It’s especially important to use the correct pronouns when referring to a trans or gender non-conforming person due to the harm that misgendering can cause to them. Learn more about pronouns and their importance later in this guide.
Misgendering
Misgendering is the act of attributing the wrong gender to a person, and can be done both intentionally and unintentionally. Some examples include calling trans women “men”, insisting that trans men are “biologically female”, or using “he” to talk about someone whose pronouns are “they/them”. Anyone can be misgendered, but misgendering can be particularly hurtful to trans people, who experience misgendering more frequently and often face discrimination and violence due to their gender identity.
Sexual orientation
A person’s sexual orientation describes whether and to whom that person is sexually attracted. Sexual orientation is one’s internal sense of who one is attracted to and does not require any specific sexual experience to confirm or validate their sexuality. A person’s sexual orientation may imply both the gender of that person and who they’re attracted to (e.g. lesbian), imply only the gender(s) to whom a person is attracted (e.g. asexual, bisexual), or say nothing about gender at all (e.g. demisexual). Sexual orientation is not the same as gender identity.
Romantic orientation
A person’s romantic orientation describes whether and to whom that person is romantically attracted. While many people have a romantic orientation that matches their sexual orientation, feel that their romantic orientation is implied by their sexual orientation, or feel unable to differentiate between romantic and sexual attraction, this is not the case for everyone. Romantic orientations are frequently constructed similarly to sexual orientations but using -romantic as a root instead of -sexual (e.g. biromantic, aromantic, homoromantic).
Straight
A straight, or heterosexual, person is someone who is attracted to people of a different gender.
Gay
A gay person is someone who is attracted to people of the same gender. While some people associate the term “gay” with gay men specifically, the term can be used by people of any gender.
Lesbian
A lesbian is a woman who is attracted to other women.
Bisexual
A bisexual person is someone who is attracted to two or more genders.
Two-spirit
Two-Spirit is an umbrella term used by some Native Americans to describe how their gender identity or sexual orientation relates to their indigenous culture or religion. Before the colonization of Turtle Island, many indigenous tribes valued and respected their trans, gender non-conforming, and LGB members as spiritual leaders or people with distinct societal roles. Two-Spirit people may or may not identify as transgender, may or may not have been born with intersex traits, may or may not use gender-neutral pronouns, and may or may not use additional terms to describe themselves specific to their tribal nation. The term Two-Spirit was created by Native Americans to describe their unique experiences, and non-Native people should not use this term to describe themselves.
Pansexual
A pansexual person is someone who is attracted to people of any gender.
Asexual
An asexual person is a person who does not experience sexual attraction. Asexuality is a sexual orientation and a natural part of human diversity. Asexuality does not necessarily involve celibacy. Similar to other sexual orientations, asexuality is an identity and a description of the way someone feels, not necessarily the way that they act.
Allosexual
An allosexual person is a person who experiences sexual attraction.
Note: We included as many words as possible that encompass the terms that are most meaningful for you to know. There are some words that are sometimes used to describe the community that are now considered offensive or outdated. We have intentionally not included those terms. If you are unsure about the language that you’re currently using, take some time to look into the history and current perception of that term.
Pronoun Allyship
Why pronouns are important
Using someone else’s name and pronouns is essential, even if it is difficult for you or if their name or pronouns changed recently. While anyone can be misgendered, trans people frequently experience discrimination or violence due to other people’s beliefs about their gender. Being misgendered may remind a trans person of family rejection, gendered violence, years spent as a gender uncomfortable to them, or the fact that their genders are often less respected than those of their cis peers. It’s important to use everyone’s correct name and pronouns, but this is even more critical for trans and gender non-conforming people, as it affirms their identity and humanity in a world that often fails to do so.
Introductions
An important way to be an ally to trans and gender non-conforming people is to share your pronouns whenever you introduce yourself, and list your pronouns in places where you’d otherwise list your name. This helps other people know how to refer to you, and also creates a safe environment for other people to share their pronouns. Some people may not be out to everyone in their lives; sharing your pronouns could create a rare space where a trans person can be themselves. Other trans people find that they’re only gendered correctly when they share their pronouns. It can feel demeaning and dehumanizing to know that others won’t respect your gender unless you advocate for yourself. When allies share their pronouns first it can create a space where trans people need to do minimal labor to belong.
Because not everyone is out, or comfortable sharing information about their pronouns in all contexts, it’s never appropriate to force someone to share their pronouns.
Assuming someone’s pronouns
It’s impossible to know someone’s gender or pronouns just by looking at them, hearing their voice, or learning their name. Before speaking about another person, it’s best to try to learn their name and pronouns, either by asking that person directly or noting how they’ve defined themselves on internal company channels, such as Slack or their email signature. [Note: For Airbnb employees, pronouns are also shown on our internal employee channel, One Airbnb]. If you are unsure of someone’s pronouns, it’s best to use they/them pronouns for that person.
Making Mistakes
Almost everyone has called someone by the wrong name or pronoun at one point in time! If you notice that you’ve used the wrong pronoun, it’s important to correct yourself. It’s rarely necessary to make a big deal out of it! Something like “he–sorry, they” is great if you are able to catch yourself while you’re still talking. A one or two word apology can affirm that person’s gender and help other people in the conversation do the same. You should avoid long or excessive apologies that may make that person’s gender the new focus of conversation or force them to soothe your feelings to stem your self-flagellation. If you realize after you’ve finished speaking, something like “I just realized I said ‘she’ earlier, when I should have said ‘he’” can make it clear that you misgendered someone unintentionally while also decreasing the likelihood that other people will make the same mistake in the future. If you notice yourself repeatedly making mistakes, please take some time to practice that person’s name or pronouns.
As an ally, it’s important to gently correct others if you notice them misgendering or misnaming someone else. This work should not need to fall on trans or gender non-conforming people. You can do this subtly, by gendering someone correctly when you speak about them, or explicitly by interrupting the conversation with a correction or asking clarifying questions about what a person’s name or pronouns are.
Practicing
It may sometimes be necessary to practice someone’s name or pronouns! You might feel silly, or feel like you’re a poor ally for not getting it immediately, but allyship frequently requires sustained effort. If you anticipate struggling to use someone’s name or pronouns, it’s important to take the time to practice gendering that person correctly instead of repeatedly making mistakes in front of them or people who know them. Some good practice methods include:
- Telling yourself stories about your friend, or recounting your friendship with them using their correct name and pronouns. This could be verbally, written, or silently to yourself.
- Finding excuses to compliment your friend or coworker in conversations with others.
- Use an app to practice conjugation of pronouns you’re less familiar with.
How to respond when someone comes out to you
“Coming out”, short for the slang phrase “coming out of the closet”, refers to the process of self-disclosure by queer people of their sexual orientation or gender identity. While some may feel that coming out is no longer necessary or no longer stressful, this is not the case for many people. People will have to “come out” for as long as we keep assuming that those around us are straight and cis by default. As queer people can be treated differently or unfairly, coming out frequently involves opening up about deeply private feelings and risking social exclusion. Here are some best practices we recommend following based on our own experiences when someone comes out to you:
#1 – Don’t question someone’s identity, or talk about your own identity, when a queer person comes out to you.
Someone coming out to you is not an opportunity to discuss aspects of your own identity or dispute someone else’s. Labels and identities are deeply personal. Therefore, saying things like “Are you sure you’re gay?” can be extremely invalidating to someone who is being brave by coming out to you and others. Further, two people may share similar experiences or feelings but identify differently! “I thought all women felt that way, are you sure you’re non-binary?”, “I feel similarly about my sexuality, but I don’t identify as bisexual”, or other responses that center how you identify can be difficult to respond to. If someone sharing their identity with you prompts you to want to discuss your own identity, consider simply affirming the other person’s right to identify differently.
#2 – Don’t take responsibility for someone being queer or ask why they are queer.
It’s important to remember that, even though being queer may expose someone to more hardship, being queer is not a negative thing! It’s important to differentiate your fear for the person coming out to you from fear of the person coming out to you. It’s possible to be scared or angry about injustices to members of the queer community while also anticipating the joy someone may find in being able to live as their true self. In addition, don’t ask someone why they are queer. This can imply that queerness can or should be prevented.
#3 – Mirror or complement the emotions of the queer person coming out to you.
Do your best to mirror or complement the emotions of the person coming out to you during your conversation with them. If they are excited to come out to you, then express your excitement for them or your appreciation for their excitement, if either of those feel true to you. On the other hand, if they are nervous or upset during the conversation, then it’s not the right time to celebrate—instead, express your support for them and perhaps offer to help if there are outside factors contributing to their difficult feelings on the topic. If they mention their identity to you in passing, then perhaps offer a small comment of acceptance if appropriate, but avoid making a big deal of their coming out until you have asked their consent to have a deeper conversation about it. Remember, it’s okay to feel conflicting emotions, but don’t try to process those feelings in front of the person who came out to you, or place that burden of processing on them.
#4 – Don’t assume queer people are out to everyone.
Because coming out is a journey and process, as well as deeply personal and opens one up to discrimination, don’t speak about another person’s gender identity or sexual orientation without their consent. This is important everywhere, but especially crucial in a workplace.
#5 – Expect that coming out may vary across different communities.
Coming out may differ for sexual orientation and gender identity. In other words, someone coming out as a bisexual may have a different experience than someone coming out as gay. The same is true across cultural background, geographic location, and/or religious identity. Check out the Human Rights Campaign’s resources to learn how you might prepare for someone in your specific community to come out. https://www.hrc.org/resources/coming-out
SECTION 2: SELF-EDUCATION
Self-education is the first step in understanding your own identity and learning how you might actively promote and aspire to advance inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts. It’s the secret sauce to genuinely understanding others’ struggles and how you might be able to help them. Just like a doctor would not prescribe medicine without educating themselves about that medicine and the patient’s medical history, allyship can’t happen without learning about the struggles and history of a particular community. This doesn’t mean you’ll ever fully understand what it feels like to be queer, but it does mean you take time to learn about struggles of the queer community, and actively work on removing them to make the world better for queer people.
Self-education in particular is a strong mechanism for impactful allyship because it doesn’t create a burden on the LGBTQ+ community to educate you. Instead, it’s a way for you to take responsibility for learning and use the tools around you to answer questions that may arise in everyday situations. Remember, self-education is a journey and a continuous process of learning. You don’t read five books and suddenly wake up as “the perfect ally” who knows exactly what to say on every occasion.
With that said, below is a list of educational tools recommended by our very own Trans@ and AirPride members. As we know learning happens in different ways, we’ve segmented this into four core sections: Read, Watch, Listen, and Follow.
Read
Watch
| Name | Type |
| A Place to Call Home | Documentary short film |
| Disclosure | Documentary |
| “A Queer Native Thanksgiving” by Twin Rabbit | Active learning (YouTube video) |
| “As They Are: Two-Spirit People in the Modern World” by the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute | Active learning (YouTube video) |
| “Debunking Asexual and Aromantic Myths” by Rowan Ellis | Active learning (YouTube video) |
| “Male and female are binary, but people aren’t” by Riley J. Denis | Active learning (YouTube video) |
| “Non-binary is Made Up” by Shonalika | Active learning (YouTube video) |
| “Why We Hate Bi Men” by Verity Ritchie | Active learning (YouTube video) |
| “Why We Hate Bi Women” by Verity Ritchie | Active learning (YouTube video) |
| Booksmart | Fictional movie |
| Moonlight | Fictional movie |
| Pariah | Fictional movie |
| Pose | Fictional TV show |
| Rafiki | Fictional movie |
| She-Ra | Fictional TV show |
| Steven Universe | Fictional TV show |
| The Half of It | Fictional movie |
| The Miseducation of Cameron Post | Fictional movie |
| The Watermelon Woman | Fictional movie |
| Wandering Son | Fictional TV show |
Listen
| Name | Type |
| Episode: DADT – Bryan and Jordan by Kismet | Podcast |
| Episode: Mauree Turner Makes History by TransLash with Imara Jones | Podcast |
| Gender Reveal by Tuck Woodstock | Podcast |
| How to Be a Girl by Marlo Mack | Podcast |
| If These Ovaries Could Talk by Robin Hopkins and Jaimie Kelton | Podcast |
| Issa Rae Presents…FRUIT | Podcast |
| Keep it! by Ira Madison III, Aida Osman, Louis Virtel | Podcast |
| LGBTQ&A: The Most Interesting People in the World Are Queer by Jeffrey Masters | Podcast |
| Making Gay History by Eric Marcus | Podcast |
| Moonface by James Kim | Podcast |
| Nancy by Tobin Low and Kathy Tu | Podcast |
| Queerology by Matthias Roberts | Podcast |
| Queery by Cameron Esposito | Podcast |
Follow
| Name | Type |
| Amber Hikes (she/her, they/them) | Chief Equity Officer, ACLU | |
| Angelica Ross (she/her) | American businesswoman, actress, and transgender rights advocate | |
| Ash Hardell | Queer and trans educational YouTuber | YouTube |
| Blair Imani (she/her) | Black; bisexual; Muslim; educator; historian; author | |
| Chase Strangio (he/they) | lawyer and transgender rights activist | |
| Elliot Page (he/they) | Actor; producer; LGBT and transgender advocate | |
| Erika Hart (she/they) | Breast cancer survivor; sex educator; advocate for racial, social & gender justice; model | |
| Jeffrey Marsh (they/them) | Non-binary public figure and activist | |
| J.R. Yussuf (he/they) | Creator of #BisexualMenSpeak | Twitter, YouTube |
| Kenny Ethan Jones (he/him) | Model; entrepreneur; activist for menstruation, body politics, mental health, and intimacy | |
| LGBT History (general account that covers LGBTQ+ history) | |
| Melina Pendulum (she/her) | “Talking about pop culture, race, feminism and other social issues with a lot of nuance and profanity” | YouTube |
| Melissa King (she/they) | Professional chef; Top Chef: All Stars L.A. winner | |
| Nyle DiMarco | Deaf advocate, actor and filmmaker | |
| Pattie Gonia (Wiley: he/him; Pattie: she/her) | Queer environmentalist, photographer, and drag queen | |
| Rowan Ellis (she/her) | “Video essays about LGBTQ+ pop culture, representation, and history” | YouTube |
| Shonalika (they/them) | “musical video essayist” | YouTube |
| Tara Cloud (she/her) | WNBA player | |
| Tee Noir | Black woman producing cultural commentary | YouTube |
| Verity Ritchie (they/she) | “trans genderqueer bisexual gender witch” | YouTube |
| Vesper / QueerAsCat (they/them) | “black, queer, non-binary, asexual (ace) vlogger” | Twitter, YouTube |
| Yasmin Benoit | Model and asexuality activist, Creator of #ThisIsWhatAsexualLooksLike | Twitter, Instagram, YouTube |
SECTION 3: ACT
Organizations to support or volunteer for
Mission
Coordinate a nationwide PenPal program in which we match incarcerated LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS with PenPals who correspond, build relationships, and participate in harm reduction and affirmation. For an incarcerated LGBTQIA2S+ person, corresponding with someone on a regular basis is itself a harm reduction strategy, giving that person a support network outside of prison.
Mission
To promote a multinational LGBTQ+ network dedicated to improving health and wellness opportunities, economic empowerment, and equal rights while promoting individual and collective work, responsibility, and self-determination.
Mission
In July 2013, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) launched UN Free & Equal – an unprecedented global UN public information campaign aimed at promoting equal rights and fair treatment of LGBTI people.
Mission
To ensure that gay, bisexual, men who have sex with men (MSM), trans and queer men are enabled to participate fully in Ireland’s social, economic, cultural, political and artistic life.
Mission
Rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love.
Mission
LGBT rights are making monumental progress for equality across the world. Volunteers are contributing to this success and are making a real difference in areas ranging from informing the public of LGBT-related laws and acts to volunteering at LGBT award ceremonies or marches to supporting the LGBT youth and community.
Mission
America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve LGBTQ equality. By inspiring and engaging individuals and communities, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBTQ people and realize a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
Mission
Nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe.
Mission
Independent, international non-governmental umbrella organisation bringing together over 600 organisations from 54 countries in Europe and Central Asia. We are part of the wider international ILGA organisation, but ILGA-Europe were established as a separate region of ILGA and an independent legal entity in 1996. ILGA itself was created in 1978.
Mission
Act as a leading organisation and a global voice for the rights of those who face discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and/or sex characteristics (SOGIESC).
Mission
Support LGBT people to increase their skills, knowledge and self-confidence to improve and maintain their health and wellbeing. We also work in partnership with others to build strong, cohesive and influential LGBT communities.
Mission
Protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people. We do this by organizing, advocating, creating an intentional community to heal, developing transformative leadership, and promoting our collective power.
Mission
Fights for the human rights for LGBTIQ people everywhere. OutRight works at the international, regional and national levels to research, document, defend, and advance human rights for LGBTIQ people around the world.
Mission
Works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination or violence.
Mission
Trans Lifeline is a grassroots hotline and microgrants 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community.
Mission
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans and Gender Non Conforming People of Color center for community organizing, focusing on the New York City area
Donate
Americas
Arts Business Collaborative (parent program of The Okra Project)
Mission
Technical assistance and research organization with a mission to improve quality of life for people of color through the arts and STEM. Our services focus on the underlying factors that impede their creative and professional endeavors: access to capital, networks, and training.
ABC aims to systemically improve the quality of life in communities of color through two main services: the Grassroots Action Project and the Rising Tides Research Institute.
Mission
Designed by women of color and trans and gender-nonconforming people of color – including many of the most prominent grassroots movement leaders of our time – Groundswell’s approach is thoughtful, sound, and well-aimed at the most promising and impactful organizations. We are living proof that when a foundation is run by women of color and transgender people of color who come out of grassroots organizing, the giving looks different.
Mission
Build the power of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) communities to transform violence and oppression. We support the healing and leadership of those impacted by abuse and mobilize our broader communities to replace cycles of trauma with cycles of safety and liberation. As part of the larger social justice movement, CUAV works to create truly safe communities where everyone can thrive.
Mission
Ensure the safety and dignity of the incarcerated & formerly incarcerated TGNC/LGBQIA+ community. Freedom Overground serves to amplify the voices of incarcerated TGNC/LGBQIA+ people by empowering them before, during, and after incarceration.
Mission
Funders for LGBTQ Issues works to increase the scale and impact of philanthropic resources aimed at enhancing the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities, promoting equity, and advancing racial, economic and gender justice.
Mission
Support For Elder Lgbt People. Provide A Safe And Nurturing Environment For Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender Individuals, And Providing Programs And Support.
Mission
According to the US Trans Survey, 1 in 3 trans people in Louisiana report experiencing homelessness at some point in their lives. House of Tulip will provide zero-barrier housing to trans and gender nonconforming people in need of a safe place to stay while growing the supply of affordable housing in New Orleans.
Mission
Nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to providing accessible legal representation for LGBT asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or HIV status.
Mission
Trusted leader that empowers the LGBTQ communities and all people affected by HIV through improving health and wellness, strengthening families and communities, and providing transformative education and advocacy.
Mission
Pays bail to secure the safety and liberty of individuals in U.S. jails and immigration facilities.
National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC)
Mission
To end racism, homophobia, and LGBTQ/SGL bias and stigma.
Mission
Openhouse enables San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ+ seniors to overcome the unique challenges they face as they age by providing housing, direct services and community programs.
Mission
Project 10 works to promote the personal, social, sexual and mental well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, intersex and questioning youth and adults 14-25.
Mission
A registered 501c3 non-profit organization that uses a start-up mentality to support refugee-led projects in Turkey, Greece, India, and Bangladesh. Our projects are refugee-led and hyper-localized, with the result being those in need are helped directly.
Mission
Challenge and end the human rights abuses committed against Black, Black/Brown trans people inside of California prisons, jails, detention centers and beyond.
Mission
Grassroots hotline and microgrants 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community.
Mission
The largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation.
Mission
Community-led funding initiative founded in 2012 to support grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people in the United States, including U.S. territories.
Mission
Create an urban environment that fosters the rich history, culture, legacy, and empowerment of transgender people and its deep roots in the southeastern Tenderloin neighborhood. The transgender district aims to stabilize and economically empower the transgender community through ownership of homes, businesses, historic and cultural sites, and safe community spaces.
Mission
To provide life-saving support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) youth, The Trevor Project recruits passionate volunteers to staff our crisis intervention services
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Mission
Services in Dublin and around the country in anti-bullying, in specialist one-to-one support, in suicide prevention are a fundamental support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans young people, but since the Referendum we have become stretched way beyond capacity.
Mission
Dublin Pride has partnered with The Community Foundation for Ireland, a registered and trusted charity, to create the Dublin Pride Fund and we’re asking everyone who has ever joined our march to do what they can this June to support our community organisations and the services they provide.
Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG)
Mission
Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG) is a Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer (LBQ) diverse persons and womxn’s rights organisation based in Uganda and established in 2003.
Mission
We pool the donations we receive to provide grants to LGBTQI organisations around the world, ensuring that they have more of the resources they need to defend their communities and campaign for equality.
Mission
Youth development and leadership organisation building LGBTQI youth activists, ensuring LGBTQI young people are present and heard and making schools safe, inclusive and supportive of LGBTQI learners.
Mission
Rainbow Street partners with local activists and care providers in the Middle East and North Africa to develop immediate and long-term solutions for queer and trans communities who experience systemic persecution and disenfranchisement due to perceived sexual orientation and gender expression.
Mission
Founded in 1989 to protest against discriminatory legislation Section 28, we work across the UK to lobby for LGBT rights in policy, and lead campaigns against abuse and discrimination in sport, school, our streets and workplaces.
Mission
Registered charity committed to improving life for LGBTQ+ people by sharing personal stories and
educating school students, parents & guardians, teachers, youth workers and workplaces on LGBTQ+ issues.
Europe, Middle East, Africa; Asian and Pacific
Mission
Strengthen the rights and wellbeing of all trans people in Europe and Central Asia. We strive to represent the diverse needs of our members within human rights mechanisms, build the capacity and skills of our members to meet the needs of local communities, and develop intersectional and decolonised programmes to build more resilient and connected trans movements.
Asian and Pacific
DDing Dong LGBTQ Youth Crisis Support
Mission
DDing Dong plans to become a multi-purpose organization that helps queer teens to rest, play, have meals, sleep, wash up, study, learn about human rights and supports them to be independent. It will also strive to become a professional safe house that operates 24 hours.
Mission
Australia’s charity for LGBTIQ youth. Creating life affirming events, education and campaigns to create a world without homophobia.
Mission
Community-based, non-profit professional organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning & queer (LGBTQ+) individuals, couples & families in Singapore since 1999.
Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association
Mission
Founded in 1998, Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association is Taiwan’s oldest LGBT organisation. A trailblazer in Taiwan’s LGBT rights movement, Hotline aims to educate the public through public dialogue and provide LGBTQ+ affirming resources for the community.
The Love Foundation – Anti-HIV Organisation
Mission
Not-for-profit anti-HIV organisation in Thailand.
Mission
The T Project is Singapore’s first and only social service for the transgender community.