Giving back has always been one of our personal missions, as well as one of the most important missions of this blog. We are in a very fortunate position as out gay women, and we want to continually help make life better for lesbians and other LGBTQ+ people around the world. We are a legally married, same-sex couple, and we enjoy all of the rights and freedoms of other citizens in our home country. We were both accepted by our families when we came out to them, and we have a loving support system of people who believe in our relationship, and accept who we are as gay individuals. Neither of us have ever experienced serious discrimination because of our sexuality, and we have never been the victims of a hate crime or any physical harassment due to being gay. We have travelled to 27 countries together as an out lesbian couple, and we have always been safe. We are grateful every day for these privileges, but we remain aware of the hardships that so many people in our community face. We do our best to give back to those in less fortunate positions, and during the holiday season we are encouraging anyone who is in a position to help, to do their part.
This year we are highlighting our 5 favourite charitable organizations that support lesbian women and the entire LGBTQ+ community. Keep reading to learn more, and if you have a favourite organization that we haven’t mentioned, please let us know about it in the comments!
The Human Rights Campaign
HRC is the largest civil rights organization in the United States of America working to achieve equality for the LGBTQ+ community. They have more than three million members and supporters that help to fight against injustices, and push for equal rights. They started as a gay and lesbian political action committee in 1980, but have expanded into a huge organization that does so much for the community! They were at the forefront of the fight for marriage equality in the US, they’ve launched many viral social media campaigns bringing worldwide attention to important issues, their political and electoral efforts have created massive change in the country, and their pushes for equality have led to the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell”, as well as important anti-discrimination legislation in America. The list of what they’ve accomplished is amazing, and they are truly an incredible organization. There are a lot of different ways you can support HRC, including becoming a partner, making a one time donation, setting up an ongoing monthly pledge, volunteering, or shopping their online store. All of the funds and efforts go toward the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.
The Trevor Project
Founded in 1998, The Trevor Project is an American non-profit providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth. Their trained counsellors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they receive 45,000 lifeline calls each year. This organization literally saves the lives of LGBTQ+ youth in crisis, when they have nowhere else to turn. They are also currently campaigning to end conversation therapy in America and worldwide. Their work is so unbelievably important, and they rely on generous donations and volunteers to continue providing a safe place for young people to turn when they need help. They are currently receiving more calls from LGBTQ+ youth in crisis than ever before in the organization’s history, and it’s a really important time to support their efforts. Donations can be made through their website and they also offer information on how to volunteer and get involved. Every $1 helps to add one minute on their crisis phone, chat, and text lines. We collaborated on a campaign in 2018 that benefitted The Trevor Project, and we fiercely believe in the work they do.
PFLAG
Standing for parents, families, and friends, of lesbians and gays, PFLAG is the largest organization uniting families and allies with the LGBTQ+ community. They work tirelessly to advance equality for our community through support, education, and advocacy. Founded in 1973 in the US, they now have 400 chapters across America, 60 chapters in Canada, as well as many partner organizations around the world. LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as their family members and allies, can connect with a local chapter to find a sense of community, as well as the support they need. We personally worked with PFLAG Canada on a fundraising initiative, and they were an amazing organization to align with. They do incredible work, and rely on donations from their members and supporters. You can give a one time donation or set up a recurring one, and an annual donation of $50 or more gives you a PFLAG National Membership.
IT GETS BETTER
The It Gets Better Project started as a social media campaign in 2010, and has grown into a global movement focused on empowering LGBTQ+ youth. The platform reaches millions of young people each year through media programming, international partners, and community based service providers. Over 60,000 people have shared their inspiring personal stories to remind the next generation that they’re not alone, and it does get better. All of the unique stories are available on the It Gets Better website, where youth can come to find community, inspiration, reassurance, and most importantly, hope. Donations to the It Gets Better Project help fund the efforts of this amazing organization, giving hope to LGBTQ+ youth around the world. They are also always looking for interns and volunteers to help support their work, and all of the information can be found on their website.
GLAAD
Formed in 1985 in New York City, GLAAD is an organization founded by LGBTQ+ people in the media, with the mission to promote understanding, increase acceptance, and advance equality for the community. In 1989, they established the GLAAD media awards, an annual ceremony that acknowledges and honours exceptional representations of LGBTQ+ people and issues in various streams of the media. These include film, television, theatre, music, journalism, and advertising. For more than thirty years, GLAAD has helped lead the equality movement for LGBTQ+ people, and they continue to create real change through a number of different programs and initiatives. Donations to the organization can be made through their website, and they have many benefits for the varying levels of membership to their program.
Because we are Canadian, the organizations that we are most familiar with, and have personally supported are all based here in North America. We would love to know which organizations are doing amazing work in other parts of the world. Please comment below with your favourites!
