15 Charity Tees (and Tanks) Worth Buying Right Now
You can never have too many t-shirts — especially when said shirts benefit organizations like Trans Lifeline, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Planned Parenthood, and the Lesbian Herstory Archives. Below, peep some of the cutest charity tees of the moment, for when you want to look good and feel better.
This creepy-cool ASL tee.
Get it (sizes XS to 2XL) from dfrntpigeon, a company that employs and mentors homeless youth in Portland, OR, for $26.
And this one that celebrates the interconnectedness of us all.
Get it (sizes XS to 2XL) from dfrntpigeon for $26.
This tank that, honestly, needs no vowels.
Get it (sizes XS to 4XL) from Superfit Hero for $25, with a portion of profits going to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
And this one that also spells things out pretty clearly.
Get it (sizes XS to 4XL) from Superfit Hero for $25.
This tee that’s very punny.
Get it (sizes XS to 2XL) from Otherwild for $30, with a portion of profits going to The National Center for Transgender Equality.
And this tee that gets straight to the point.
Get it (sizes XS to 3XL) from Otherwild for $36, with 10% of profits going to the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
A v gay mesh tank if you’re too hot for cotton.
Get it (sizes Youth L to 4XL) from Gender Is Over for $21, with profits going to organizations including Trans Lifeline, FIERCE, and the Queer People of Color Collective.
This sexy/scary shirt with major ’80s vibes.
Get it (sizes S to 3XL) from Revel and Riot, which that donates a portion of profits to LGBTQ organizations, for $30.
And this punk-inspired top for if you’re feeling vicious.
Get it (sizes S to 2XL) from Revel and Riot for $30.
This tee to challenge patriarchal pleasure.
Get it (sizes XS to 3XL) from Google Ghost for $25, with 100% of profits going to Planned Parenthood.
And this one to make them STFU.
Get it (sizes XS to 3XL) from Google Ghost for $30, with 10% of profits going to Planned Parenthood.
A retro tee to keep kids off hate.
Get it (sizes XS to 2XL) from Kidd Bell for $34, with 15% of profits going to the ACLU.
And one that’s all about love.
Get it (sizes XS to 2XL) from Kidd Bell for $34.
Plus a tee for when you’re fierce, but you also like florals.
Get it (sizes XS to 2XL) from Wildfang for $40, with 10% of profits going to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.
And finally, one for when you’re already perfect. And horny, too. Either way.
Get it (sizes XS to 2XL) from Wildfang for $40.
Tegan and Sara Created Their Own LGBTQ Foundation In Response To This Garbage Fire Year
feature image via Tegan and Sara.
We all know them as queer pop idols, the candy center of our current hella gay music choices, but they’re not stopping there. Today Tegan and Sara announced that they’ve founded the Tegan and Sara Foundation. Their mission: fight for economic justice, health and representation for LGBTQ girls and women. According to their about page, they’re a fundraising organization that aims to raise funds and awareness and then give to other organizations already doing the work.
In their letter about their new foundation, Tegan and Sara write:
In the fall of 2016 we traveled across North America touring our new record, Love You to Death. We played shows every night, but it was also an important listening and learning tour for us. Every day we read your letters. We met with local fans, youth activists, researchers, legislators, and nonprofits working tirelessly to promote LGBTQ equality. We were deeply inspired by their work. The list would be too long if we mentioned everyone who generously spent time with us, but a special thank you to GLAAD, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, the LA LGBT Center, Equality North Carolina, the Audre Lorde Project, the Astraea Foundation, and the Williams Institute. We learned a great deal from you all, including much more about the needs of LGBTQ people in North America. We learned that the lack of federal funding for LGBTQ services, limited training for doctors about the needs of their LGBTQ patients, and severe workplace discrimination are disproportionately affecting women. Most importantly, we learned that LGBTQ women and girls are feeling overwhelmingly rejected and left behind.
LGBTQ women are experiencing disproportionately high levels of poverty, health issues and inequality. LGBTQ women of color, especially transgender women often experience these issues even more severely due to racism and transphobia. Today, given the state of politics in the United States, we must continue to unite and fight for our rights and against all forms of oppression.
Through the Tegan and Sara Foundation, we can be proactive with our support rather than wait to react to discrimination as it occurs. We will support the work of other organizations who have been fighting for LGBTQ and women’s rights by raising funds and awareness for their initiatives. We will fight against the repressive legislation of the incoming Trump administration. We will fight against regressive homophobic, transphobic, and misogynistic legislation. We will fight for economic, racial and gender justice. We started the Foundation to dismantle the systems of inequity that prevent LGBTQ girls and women from reaching their full potential. Together, we can make a difference.
You can read the letter in full here. I love it when my favorite artists stand up to a white nationalist administration and actually call it out by name! I love it when members of our community band together in response to this no good very bad year, which, we are all now coming to realize, is only the beginning of a new shitty era. It’s so easy for people creating entertainment to stick their heads in the sand and say, “We exist so you don’t have to think about all the bullshit that’s going on!” It’s harder and, I would argue, better when our entertainers engage with the reality around them. That’s what they’re making art about, after all. And where their fans live. And where they live too. Four for you, Tegan and Sara.
I’ll keep an eye on the Tegan and Sara Foundation as they move forward in funding the resistance.
Holigay Gift Guide 2014: Support These Queer and Feminist Causes In The Name of Someone Rad
A donation to an important cause or organization can be a wonderful gift for all different people in your life. You can donate money to groups related to issues your friends are involved in as a way to support their work. Making donations in people’s names also can connect your family or other important people in your life with issues that you care about.
I think a lot about how to thoughtfully engage my family in things that I’m passionate about. I’m lucky to have a family that’s always open to hearing what I do and care about, but it can sometimes be hard for them to connect with my politics if they don’t see a clear spot for themselves in the issues I find important. I think this is often a challenge for young, newly politicized people. For the holidays a few years ago, after a period when I’d been learning a lot about immigration and the US/Mexico border, I gave small donations to several organizations whose work I’d been learning about, in the names of my different family members. For each person, I picked an organization that related to one of their particular interests and wrote them a letter about why it was an important organization to me and why I thought they would care about it. Writing the letters helped me share what I learned and cared about from the time I spent in Tucson, and it showed each of my family members the personal connections they had to what I had learned and seen.
The nice thing about giving gifts this way is that you can tailor it to whatever your means are. Whether you contribute $5 in someone’s name, or make them a monthly sustainer, it’s a meaningful gift that will support important work.
Kate made a great list of LGBTQ organizations last year, and Audrey made this list for GiveOUT! Day. 2014 has been a huge year for grassroots queer and feminist organizing, activism and media-making. Here are some new(er) groups and projects to throw your money at in the names of your loved ones:
The Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (QDEP)
QDEP works with immigrant detainees, undocumented folks and asylum seekers who are queer, trans and/or HIV+ in New York City. QDEP says,
“We are committed to assisting folks in building lives outside of the detention system, to keeping queer families together by demanding an end to deportations, and to queering dialog and work on immigration justice.”
QDEP only began last year, but it’s had a banner year, organizing actions, events and services for queer, trans and HIV+ detainees, and hosting the Queering Immigration conference in August. This is a great group to donate to in honor of people who really care about issues related to immigration.
via Free Marissa Now
Marissa Alexander Freedom Fund
Marissa Alexander was arrested in 2010 after she fired a warning shot into the ceiling when her abusive and violent husband was threatening the life of her and her children. No one was hurt as a result of her warning shot, and the incident took place in Florida, which has its infamous “Stand Your Ground” law on the books. Yet, Alexander was prosecuted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Her guilty verdict was overturned on appeal in September 2013, and so she has a new trial scheduled for December 8th, 2014, where she could face sixty years in prison if she is found guilty.
Alexander faces over $250,000 in legal fees, and her supporters are trying to raise $40,000 before her trial begins. Supporting her legal fund is a meaningful and important way to involve people who care about supporting mothers and people experiencing domestic violence.
Donate to the Marissa Alexander Freedom Fund
GetYrRights
GetYrRights launched their website a few weeks ago. GYR is a network of organizations across the US who do Know Your Rights work for LGBTQ youth. Donate to GetYrRights in the name of someone who is passionate about the criminal justice system, and use it as a starting point to talk about how criminalization and police affect queer youth.
via TWOCC
Trans Women of Color Collective (TWOCC)
The Trans Women of Color Collective promotes the leadership and activism of trans women of color, with the vision of creating revolutionary change. TWOCC has organized events like Black Trans Revolution in Pittsburgh, and has organized days of action and vigils for Islan Nettles, a black trans woman who was killed outside a police station in Harlem.
TWOCC has chapters in New York, Ohio and New Orleans. TWOCC is an important collective to know about for people who feel strongly about promoting the leadership of women, trans people and people of color.
via in the making
In The Making
In the Making is a photography project working to “debunk the myth that marriage equality means full equality for the LGBTQ community.” Featuring Harvard students and alumni, each photograph reveals what the individual sees as part of their gay agenda. The creators of In the Making are raising funds for the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, GLSEN and the National LGBTQ Task Force. It’s a great project to support in honor of someone who is passionate about art as activism, and it can help people begin to understand the importance of issues beyond marriage for the LGBTQ community.
via AP
Legal Support Fund for Justice for Mike Brown
There’s still lots of need for financial support for people protesting the murder of Mike Brown and police militarization in Ferguson. Donate to this fund in honor of people who are passionate about supporting grassroots resistance to police militarization and brutality.
Donate to the Legal Support Fund for Justice for Mike Brown
Arcoíris Liberation Team
The Arcoíris Liberation Team is a grassroots organization in Phoenix, AZ working for queer and trans immigrant communities in and outside of immigration detention. Arcoíris has been pushing for justice and freedom for Marichuy Leal Gamino, who was assaulted in immigration detention. They’ve also been part of community education initiatives to raise awareness about legal obstacles for LGBTQ detainees. Arcoíris also has a bond fund for people in immigration detention.
Donate to the Arcoíris Liberation Team
Let us know if you’re planning to donate in the name of a friend or family member this year! What grassroots feminist/queer organizations do you support?
LGBTQ Charity List for 2014: Your Guide to Giving Back
‘Tis the season of bell-ringing Santas and charity drives, and if you’re in a place to give back this year, finding organizations that match your values can be as difficult as dealing with holiday visits from relatives who want to set you up with a “nice young man.” Consider Autostraddle your Queer Charity Matchmaker. We’ve put together a list of some of the best North American charities whose missions focus on the LGBTQ community, and weeded out the charities that aren’t friendly to every aspect of the rainbow. This list also includes an overview of each charity’s mission statement, so you can give local or find the charity that’s most relevant to your interests. Happy giving back, homos!
United States
Ali Forney Center
Provides housing for homeless LGBTQ youth in New York City, as well as medical and mental health services, substance abuse support, career and educational counseling and life skills mentoring.
Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
“Astraea was founded in 1977 by a small group of multi-racial, multi-class women in order to address the lack of funding for women-specifically lesbians and women of color.” Philanthropic organization supporting international LGBTQI causes.
Audre Lorde Project
“The Audre Lorde Project is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color community organizing center, focusing on the New York City area.”
Camp Aranu’tiq
Summer camps for gender-variant and trans* youth, with locations in New England and California.
Forge
“FORGE is a progressive organization whose mission is to support, educate and advocate for the rights and lives of transgender individuals and SOFFAs (Significant Others, Friends, Family, and Allies).” Provides support via a number of projects, based primarily in the areas of aging, anti-violence, and local projects in Wisconsin.
Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute
“The Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute works to achieve full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people by building, supporting, and advancing a diverse network of LGBT public leaders.” Programs offered include internships, scholarships, leadership conferences, and training for political candidates and campaigns, as well as an international directory for openly LGBTQ political leaders.
Jim Collins Foundation
Provides financial assistance to transgender individuals for surgery and medical expenses.
LA Gay and Lesbian Center
Provides a wide number of resources for the LGBTQ community, including resources for LGBTQ youth, LGBTQ elderly, and queer families.
SAGE Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders
“Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults.”
SMYAL
“SMYAL supports and empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in the Washington, DC metropolitan region.” Services offer include support groups, peer education program, leadership training, HIV testing and counseling, social activities specifically for LGBTQ youth, and community education.
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
“The Sylvia Rivera Law Project works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination or violence.”
The Harvey Milk Foundation
“From targeted programs that support cross cultural discussions, working to harmonize and share best advocacy practices on a global level, to Harvey’s very unique but critical focus on building a foundation for societal change through face to face conversation with communities that have traditionally opposed LGBT equality, the foundation works to realize a dream that Harvey began and that is up to all of us to create.”
Point Foundation
The national LGBTQ scholarship fund, provides scholarships and financial assistance to LGBTQ students, as well as leadership training, mentorship, and community service training.
Transgender Law Center
“Transgender Law Center works to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.” Based in San Francisco, California.
The Trevor Project
Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth, including a 24 hour hotline, education resources, and training for youth and adults.
Canada
ASTT(E)Q
“ASTT(e)Q aims to promote the health and well-being of trans people through peer support and advocacy, education and outreach, and community empowerment and mobilization.” Action Santé Travesti(e)s et Transsexuel(le)s du Québec (ASTT(e)Q) works for the trans* community in Quebec through advocacy and activism. Important note: ASST(E)Q is one of only a few organizations that specifically focuses a portion of their programs on trans sex workers and the promotion of safe and positive working conditions.
Camp FYrefly
National leadership retreat for LGBTQ youth. “It focuses on building and nurturing their leadership potential and personal resiliency in an effort to help them learn how to make significant contributions to their own lives and to their schools, home/group-home environments, and communities.”
Jer’s Vision
Aims to eliminate LGBTQ discrimination in schools and youth communities via educational programming, conferences, arts programs, community involvement, and support for youth-led initiatives.
Lambda Foundation
Provides scholarships and funding to LGBTQ academics and research that supports the LGBTQ community.
Out on Bay Street
“Out On Bay Street provides resources and opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally (LGBTQA) students, young professionals and pro-LGBTQA organizations across Canada.”
Rainbow Refugee Committee“Rainbow Refugee Committee (RRC) is a Vancouver based community group that supports and advocates with people seeking refugee protection because of persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.”
Salaam
“Salaam is an organization dedicated to Muslims who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual/ transgender and or intersex, as well as those questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity, their families and friends.”
Ten Oaks Project – “The Ten Oaks Project engages and connects children and youth from LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two-spirit, queer) communities through programs and activities rooted in play.”
Feel free to comment with the charity near and dear to your heart!