Proxy & Pride
Anywhere in the world, but especially in the SF Bay Area, Pride Month is a special opportunity to honor and celebrate all that the LGBTQIA+ community encompasses. The parade may be canceled this year, but we’re still here to recognize you and all that you do. From the Stonewall Inn to the Compton Cafeteria riot, we recognize the struggles and pain it took to get here and we know the world is a better place with you in it. This month we’re spotlighting three unique nonprofits from the LGBTQIA+ community that focus on the rights, health, safety, and culture of queer folks throughout the nation. 50% of all June profits will be going to The Transgender District, Intersex Justice Project, and Williams and Associates. ***Edit: we ended up running our fundraiser through the end of July***
The Transgender District
The Transgender District was founded in 2017 by three Black trans women in the Tenderloin of San Francisco, California to combat the surrounding hate and gentrification they faced daily. The world’s first legally recognized district for trans folks, the organization aims to create not only a safe place for trans people and by trans people, but a place where trans people can thrive. They focus primarily on tenant protections, economic and workplace development, arts and culture, cultural heritage conservation, cultural competency, and land use to reclaim the “gay ghetto” as their home. They are currently working with trans-led groups in Austin and Atlanta to spread their model for a brighter future here and everywhere.
Intersex Justice Project
www.IntersexJusticeProject.org
Intersex Justice Project is an amazing organization that not only focuses on intersex rights but also centers Black and Brown people in their movement. Liberation is front of mind and the organization states a demand to “be allowed to exist freely in the bodies we were born with.” Black and intersex-led, IJP is a huge voice in the campaign to #EndIntersexSurgery. Having already seen a historic win in California’s denouncement of unnecessary and harmful forced surgical operations on intersex children in 2018 (SCR 110), they are now fighting for the legal protection of these children to exist without medical scrutiny or interference.
Williams and Associates, Inc
Williams and Associates, Inc. is a healthcare-centered organization providing free services in St. Louis Missouri. They provide preventative health education, disease prevention, health promotion, resources, and healthcare services. While wellness screenings, access to safer sex methods and devices, and health education workshops are all offered by WA, they also understand that health is impacted by various factors and include housing assistance referrals, violence prevention workshops, and presentations on LGBTQIA+ sensitivity. Mental health, addiction resources, and HIV+ support groups are also offered free of charge. With a focus on the health disparities of queer, Black, and poor folks in St. Louis and nationally, we’re honored to support such work on the 40th anniversary of MMWR.