Draconian laws are on the rise all over the world, including the United States and East Africa, which are brutalizing LGBTQ+ communities. For the first time in its more than 40-year history, the Human Rights Campaign in June declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ persons in the United States. In April 2023, Equality Florida issued a travel advisory for those considering travel or moving to the state of Florida given the plethora of hateful anti-LGBTQ+ laws being passed. On May 28, 2023, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 into law, which calls for life imprisonment for consensual same-sex sexual acts, the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” up to 20 years imprisonment for the promotion of homosexuality, and imposes an obligation on Ugandan citizens to report anyone suspected of engaging in homosexuality. The law has inspired a similar bill in Kenya and a related discussion among Tanzanian parliamentarians.

Provide immediate general operating support funding. This is a humanitarian crisis. Activists are fighting against well-organized and well-funded enemies pouring their funding into lobbying efforts, and LGBTQ+ activists are facing violence at extreme levels. Funding is needed to help fund safety efforts, salaries, and lobbying.

Who are you funding, and do you know who they fund? Does your organization fund through intermediaries or fund organizations who both make grants and fundraise? Do the research to find out who these organizations give their money to. You may be surprised to see funding being given to groups in the anti-LGBTQ+ movement.

Add a wellness budget line into your program budget template. Now more than ever, activists (whether they are focused on LGBTQ+ activism or not) are facing extreme burnout. See them for the human beings that they are and support their well-being.

Support your LGBTQ+ colleagues. Your colleagues may or may not be out at work. Either way, they are experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress right now.

Read the full article about supporting LGBTQIA movements by Jaime Sharp at Grantmakers in the Arts.