In 2023, more than five hundred bills attacking the rights of LGBTQ communities — many centered squarely on the civil rights and bodily autonomy of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people, drag performers, families, and youth — were proposed in state legislatures nationwide. While LGBTQ movements continue to lead highly sophisticated and powerful organizing campaigns that have defeated a majority of these bills, several bills have been signed into law across the country, to devastating effect.

Confronted with the fear of incarceration, loss of livelihood, and/or their medical licenses, many hospitals and medical practices in states with these laws have been forced to cease provision of TGNC-affirming care. Families are being threatened with state-mandated separation for simply providing the best healthcare possible for their children and challenged to make impossible decisions about where they live and work. People are being assaulted — and in some cases, even killed — for being perceived as part of the TGNC community.

This is all happening during a seemingly fast-paced slide toward authoritarianism. While several TGNC people ran successful campaigns for political office in state legislatures, many were notably attacked by far-right politicians, breaking their own rules of decorum. Montana State Representative Zoey Zephyr, one of the first TGNC lawmakers in the state, was voted off the floor for telling her fellow lawmakers they would “have blood on their hands” if they supported a ban on affirming healthcare for TGNC youth. She and her constituents were effectively silenced and disenfranchised. As we move towards the 2024 presidential elections, there is a deeply rooted fear that these assaults and attacks on democracy, and on TGNC communities, will only increase in violence and frequency.

As members of the philanthropic sector, this is a moment for us to move with precision, strategy, and rigor. It is critical that we not only hold hope but translate that hope into a disciplined practice that invests in intersectional movement building. In these times, I remind myself every day that our movements have the knowledge, strategy, and experience to win, to build a world where all of us are well, safe, and free. If your institution’s grantmaking practices are dedicated to promoting democracy, reproductive justice, racial equity, climate change, and/or health, know that the ultimate success of your work demands a trans praxis.

To that end, Funders for LGBTQ Issues and our member network offer a number of resources for foundations seeking to build a focus on TGNC communities in their grantmaking.

Read the full article about LGBTQ+ rights by Saida Agostini-Bostic at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.