Resources for LGBTQ Christians, Allies, and More

During the holiday season, it is human nature to want to 'give back' to those in need at the quickest and easiest opportunity...i.e throwing your loose change into those Salvation Army red buckets flanked by bell ringers in front of the local Target, letting a mutual exchange of "Merry Christmas!"-es act as a donation receipt. But despite the Salvation Army's motto being "Doing the most good" and their website's assertion that "All people are deserving of Christ’s love, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity", the values behind the organization are more damaging than it appears. They have a long history of transphobic and anti-LGBTQ behavior including their complicity in the death of Jennifer Gale, among other issues.

So, in case you are looking for a more impactful and less problematic recipient for your holiday goodwill (be that in the form of money, donated goods, support, or volunteering), I have compiled a list of some places I have vetted and donated to in the past that you might want to consider!

NOTE: There are hundreds of other wonderful nonprofits/organizations you could look into, and you are welcome to use this as a jumping off point to do your own research instead if you prefer! Also, please feel free to bypass larger organizations and donate to individuals or families on social media who may ask for donations going towards rent/gas/utilities/debt, food/clothing, accessibility needs/medication, aid pursuing work/education/leaving an abusive situation, etc instead! Helping one person is still helping, and that's what being human is about.

APPALACHIAN AREA

• Appalachian Voices - Aims to shift the Appalachian community's impact from the fossil fuel industry to clean energy, fights to end mountaintop removal, and works to clean up coal ash in communities where the problem has devastated the community. 

BROAD IMPACT

• Together Rising - As stated on their website: "whether it’s pulling children out of the sea outside the refugee camps in Greece, helping abandoned kids on the streets in Indianapolis, establishing the first opioid recovery home for pregnant teens in New Hampshire, building a maternal health wing in Port-au-Prince, providing a single mother access to breast cancer treatment, or keeping a foster family’s heat on in Texas — Together Rising identifies what is breaking the hearts of our givers as they look around their world and their community, and then we connect our givers’ generosity with the people and organizations who are effectively addressing that critical need." 100% of donations go to causes as well--administrative costs are not taken from those funds unless the person donating strictly specifies that they should do so. 

NATIVE/INDIGENOUS GROUPS

• One Spirit - Primarily led by indigenous people + committed to the Oglala Lakota people on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Projects include: providing clothing, food, and art supplies for the Rosebud Homeless Shelter; enabling children at the Allen Youth Center to celebrate their heritage through the Native Pride Project, giving holiday gifts (okini) to 22 children in need, buying equipment (chainsaws and log splitter) to provide wood and employ Lakota people, hiring a Lakota man to help ready the buffalo house for USDA certification + work with the tribe to harvest 4 buffalo per month for the food program; securing a centrally located site that will offer food to those in need on a daily basis/will provide food and fresh vegetables produced locally by the Lakota, and a new mobile pantry that will allow One Spirit to deliver food more frequently to the surrounding communities.
• Lakota People's Law Project - Partner with the Lakota to help secure their rights to autonomy and self-determination, and to renew their culture. Focuses on combating a variety of issues, including: Native-specific voter suppression, consequences of climate change that negatively affect Native peoples' access to clean water and the protection of their homes and/or sacred lands, and violence against Native people.
• Mending the Sacred Hoop - A Native owned and operated non-profit that utilizes grassroots efforts in order to "end violence against Native women and children while restoring the safety, sovereignty, and sacredness of Native women". They provide resources, workshops/training, education, advocacy and other various forms of assistance to both Native people on  reservations and those who live in off-reservation/urban Native communities. 
• StrongHearts Native Helpline - A domestic violence and dating violence helpline created by and for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Offers support, referrals, and resources seven days a week, from 7am-10pm CST. Also offers "peer support, crisis intervention, personalized safety planning, education on domestic violence and healthy relationships, and a connection to Tribal and Native resources." 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) 

LGBTQ RIGHTS:

• Third Wave Fund - A fund led by and for U.S women of color, intersex, queer, and trans folks under the age of 35 that seeks to "ensure [that] young women, queer, and trans youth of color have the tools and resources they need to lead powerful movements, and that they have a seat at the table within philanthropy." Additionally, Third Wave "supports gender and reproductive justice groups from the ground up with rapid response grants, long-term funding for emerging groups, and capacity building." 
• Rainbow Railroad - Helps LGBTQI people who are facing extreme violence and state-sponsored persecution on an international level to find a path to freedom and safety. This include working with people all around the world to confirm details of cases, put those in need in touch with local resources, and to help survivors identify safe routes for escape. Some places where cases have arisen include Chechnya, Syria, and Barbados.
• Transgender Law Center -  Advocates for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. A trans led organization, they are "grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice" and seek to foster safety & support for LGBTQ+ people of various identities, including people of color, migrants, those living in the South U.S, and those who are also disabled/Deaf/ill. Programs include the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project, Black Trans Circles, TLC@SONG, Positively Trans, TRUTH, and Disability Project. 
• Trans Healthcare MD - Seeks to "promote trans wellness by increasing access to affirming services and resources while nurturing young trans leadership" in the state of Maryland. Their work includes gender identity and pronoun training, educating medical staff about trans* bodies and best practices for respecting trans patients’ needs, and providing information about hormone replacement therapy (HRT). 

EMERGENCY RELIEF:

• Preemptive Love Coalition - Provides emergency relief (food, water, and medical care) to those suffering from conflict and disaster. Additionally, they also help families find work/start new businesses, repair homes damaged from bombs and natural disasters, create farming jobs for those seeking work opportunities, offer job education to Israeli-Palestinian women, and more. Their recent impact has been felt in Syria and Iraq. 

CHILDREN/WOMEN IN NEED

• Voices For Dignity - Empowers survivors of spiritual abuse, human trafficking, religious oppression,  cyberbullying, media humiliation and other forms of humiliation-based trauma. One specific group to whom they seek to provide support and resources are the families & children of the FLDS community (the Utah-based polygamist cult run by Warren Jeffs). Projects include selling goods through The Short Creek Cottage Women's Empowerment Project and renovating a recently acquired building to turn into a school (specific needs include a library, a computer lab, high school classes, GED classes, resources for mothers/teachers, a place for therapy). 
• Zephaniah Free Education - Provide free education for women + children in their community, they also work towards interfaith harmony, teach women occupational skills (such as makeup application and sewing) so they can earn an independent living, promote healthy habits like hand-washing/nutrition, provide medical care + clothing + food for children who have been injured or are in need, encourage female students to gain confidence in public speaking, educate women about monthly periods, and more. 

IMMIGRANT RIGHTS/MEXICALI BORDER POLITICS

• National Immigration Law Center - Engages in lawsuits that "defend the fundamental and constitutional rights of all Americans, including low-income immigrants and their families, usually in coordination with other local and national civil rights organizations". Their legal victories have "secured vital due process rights for detained Salvadorans, challenged government regulations that would have resulted in millions of workers losing their jobs, and stopped unconstitutional state attempts to regulate immigration law that would have led to racial profiling" according to their website. 

• Al Otro Lado - Coordinates and/or provide screening, advocacy, and legal representation to deportees and other individuals relating to immigration, civil rights, and other legal needs. Their services are available in both English and Spanish, and they (in tandem with other groups) have overcome a variety of obstacles to help reunite families who have been separated at the U.S border, including locating deported parents who the administration gave up finding because they had no cell phones, lived in rural villages, and/or only spoke rare indigenous languages. 

• Justice In Motion - Aims to protect migrant rights across borders by developing and supporting a cross-border network of advocates and resources. Alongside Al Otro Lado and Together Rising (which I have listed in the "Supports Variety of Causes" section), they worked to locate 400 parents that the U.S government deported with no plans to reunite them with their children, reuniting them in many cases. Additionally, because some separated families fleeing persecution were denied a fair asylum process and/or suffered harms at the hands of U.S. officials, Justice in Motion connected 33 deported families with U.S. legal representation. They continue to provide legal resources for those parents and families who have yet to be reunited exercise their right to apply for asylum and reclaim their children.

• Matthew 25/Mateo 25 SoCal - Works to stop unjust deportations by mobilizing at a grassroots level and specifically among faith leaders (within faith communities, congregations, denominations, seminaries, and faith-based organizations). They specifically focus on advocating for the rights of and providing support to three groups: 1) undocumented immigrants threatened with mass deportation and refugees who are being banned despite rigorous vetting; 2) African Americans and other people of color threatened by racial policing; and 3) Muslims, threatened with banning, monitoring, and even registration. 

• Families Belong Together -  A collaborative mission that includes nearly 250 organizations representing Americans from all backgrounds (including the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Women’s Refugee Commission, MomsRising, FWD.us, United We Dream, People’s Action, ACLU, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, MoveOn and others). Fights family separation and promotes dignity, unity, and compassion for all children and families through the millions of dollars it has raised to reunite families and contact government officials about specific people and families in need. 

• Border Kindness - Responds to the immediate needs of migrants and refugees and to identify + assist other organizations that efficiently and justly help the vulnerable in the Mexicali/Calexico Border Region. This includes providing refugees, migrants and the displaced directly with meals, personal care items, clothing/shoes, toys and bicycles, blankets/sleeping bags and tents, cell phones and laptops, emergency medical care (including medication). cash transfers for emergency needs, transportation (including bus tickets throughout Mexico and Central America), and kitchen appliances (refrigerators, stoves and microwaves for families, shelters and children’s programs).

• The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project - Offers free legal & social services to adults and unaccompanied children in immigration custody in Arizona. 

• Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights - Advocates for the rights + best interests of immigrant children by providing attorney, social workers, and bilingual volunteers who can act as Child Advocates (guardian ad litem) by the Department of Health and Human Services (offices are located in Houston, San Antonio Phoenix, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York, Harlingen and Chicago). 

• Miles4Migrants - A nonprofit where you can donate your unused frequent flyer miles and/or money which are then utilized on the behalf of refugees in order to fly them to their new homes and reunite families separated by conflict and persecution.
• Safe Passage Project -  Provides free lawyers to immigrant and refugee children who are being deported. They are now representing children in more than 900 cases.