Qnotes from Funders for LGBTQ Issues

Celebrating 30 years of mobilizing philanthropic resources for the LGBTQ community.

1982-2012

October 2012     

 

On October 1st, as part of our ongoing commitment to advancing work at the intersection of racial equity and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) justice, Funders for LGBTQ Issues held a convening at the California Endowment in Oakland, California for grantmakers interested in deepening their critical thinking, expanding their knowledge, and increasing the impact of their men and boys of color initiatives and their work on LGBTQ issues through an exploration of gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, and race.

Over 40 attendees, representing 18 foundations and 6 affinity groups, joined us for an engaging and substantive discussion on issues affecting GBTQ men and boys of color from health concerns, school push-outs and criminalization, to economic rights. At the gathering we also premiered our series of video portraits of GBTQ men and boys of color from around the country, adding a personal dimension to our work on this marginalized population. We will feature one of the videos in each issue of Qnotes over the next few months. The first is below.

Click here to listen to audio from the gathering, view related articles and resources, and find links to more videos. 


Bryan
Bryan


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Save the Date:
2013 Grantmakers Retreat 
Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM
March 13 - 16, 2013 

 
Join us for four days of discussion, strategizing, and knowledge sharing at our annual retreat for grantmakers working on LGBTQ issues. Click here for more information or REGISTER TODAY
 
       
Call For Session Proposals
Every year, we convene grantmakers from private, public and community foundations and funds to share strategies, best practices, cautionary tales, and success stories - all in service of our common goals of mobilizing more resources for LGBTQ communities and engaging in grantmaking that helps advance our movement(s). We are now accepting proposals from grantmakers for our March 2013 retreat in New Mexico. Proposals are due November 3, 2012. For the full call for proposals - including submissions guidelines - and an application, please click here.

Philanthropy Notes


2012 Twin Cities LGBT Aging Needs Assessment Survey Report       

  

This report, released by PFund Foundation and the Greater Twin Cities United Way as part of their LGBT Aging Initiative, replicates and updates a 2002 needs assessment, and compares local results to national studies including: Still Out, and The Aging and Health Report: Disparities and Resilience Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Adults.  

 

In comparison to the general population, the LGBT older adults who participated in the study were nearly twice as likely to be a caregiver. However, they were more likely to live alone, less likely to have a caregiver, and less likely to have children. Moreover, LGBT older adults are more at risk for social isolation and nursing home placement. Compared to the 2002 assessment, participants were nearly twice as likely to believe they would receive sensitive care if their sexual orientation were known. While certainly an improvement, still less than one in five people believe they would receive sensitive care.

The key findings from the report point to opportunities for growth and change that will ensure LGBT individuals have quality support services and care as they age. The findings can also be used to engage communities in a dialogue on how to effectively serve LGBT older adults. Visit here to download.     
   


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Critical Issues Forum, Vol. 4: Mobilizing Community Power to Address Structural Racism      

  

The fourth volume of the Critical Issues Forum series from the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity, which aims to deepen the discourse around important progressive racial justice issues within philanthropy. In this journal we share essays from a number of community activists, as well as interviews with activists and funders, tackling a range of current issues, challenges and opportunities as they strive to strengthen approaches to engage communities in a movement toward a truly multiracial democracy. Visit here to download.        

LGBTQ Notes


Same-Sex Couples and Marriage: Model Legislation for Allowing Same-Sex Couples to Marry or All Couples to Form a Civil Union
 
This study by Jennifer C. Pizer and Sheila James Kuehl of the Williams Institute, presents a "Model Marriage Code" and "Model Civil Union Code" which ensures greater consistency and predictability among state laws offering protections to same-sex couples. It also reduces confusion when separate state rules governing same-sex and different-sex couples affect employers, businesses, government and other institutions .Currently, nineteen states and the District of Columbia offer same-sex couples either marriage or a non-marriage, alternative status, or both. However, the inconsistencies among state laws cause unnecessary confusion and vulnerability for couples and families whose rights are at stake.(Visit here to download the study.)   

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Serving Our Youth: Findings from a National Survey of Service Providers Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth Who Are Homeless or At Risk of Becoming Homeless

A study by Laura E. Durso and Gary J. Gates of the Williams Institute in collaboration with The Palette Fund and True Colors Fund reveals that over the past ten years, the percentage of homeless youth providers serving LGBT clients has increased from 82% to 94%, with providers reporting that 40% of clients are LGBT youth. Additionally, more than 75% of responding agencies worked with transgender youth in the past year. Nearly seven in ten (68%) respondents indicated that family rejection was a major factor contributing to LGBT youth homelessness, making it the most cited factor.  More than half (54%) of respondents indicated that abuse in their family was another important factor contributing to LGBT homelessness.(Visit here to download the study.)   




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Funders for LGBTQ Issues seeks to mobilize philanthropic resources that enhance the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities, promote equity and advance racial, economic and gender justice.