Open Your Wallet For These 32 Black-Led Queer & Trans Organizations

Named after self-described “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," Audre Lorde, The Audre Lorde Project is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirit, trans, and gender-nonconforming people of color center for community organizing. Based in the New York area, they work for community wellness and social and economic justice through mobilization, education, and capacity-building. You can donate, become a member, or apply to be on their board.

Marsha P. Johnson was a key figure in the Stonewall Uprising (the origin of all modern queer liberation movements.) She was a Black trans woman, activist, and self-identified drag queen. The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) is an organization that protects and defends Black transgender people, by organizing, and advocating. They focus on creating an intentional community to heal, developing transformative leadership, and promoting a collective power of Black trans people. Membership is for Black trans people, but non-Black and/or cisgender allies can gift a membership.

Black Trans Femmes in the Arts (BTFA) is a collective of Black trans women and non-binary femmes with a mission to creating space for Black trans femmes in the arts. The collection includes artists, educators, art administrators, activists, and curators. They organize performances and galleries to showcase the talent of Black trans femmes, host workshops and talks, and hope to mobilize and uplight Black trans femmes with resources and opportunities. You can donate here.

The Okra Project is a grassroots, organizer-led collective aimed to combat food insecurity in the Black trans and gender-nonconforming community based in New York. They bring home-cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black trans people and have a number of mutual aid funds that Black trans people can apply for. You can donate here.

FOR THE GWORLS is a community organization that raises money to assist with Black trans folks’ medical needs, as well as rent and living expenses. Inspired by "rent parties" during the Harlem Renaissance era, (where Black folks would host house parties with a small admission fee in efforts to pay their inflated rent prices), FOR THE GWORLS hosts a monthly party to raise money for their community. You can find ways to donate here, and apply for their medical fund.

The Black Trans Travel Fund is a mutual-aid fund, (a voluntary, reciprocal fund) that provides Black transwomen in New York and New Jersey with access to safer travel, including private rides, gas for their own vehicles, or other self-determined alternatives. You can donate to the fund or pick something up from the trans POC-owned chest binder company gc2b's Black trans liberation collection, where 100% of the proceeds will be donated to The Black Trans Travel Fund.

Black Visions Collective is a Black trans- and queer-led organization dedicated to Black liberation. They are focused on making long-term change across the Twin Cities metro area and Minnesota, and create conditions that will allow for the long-lasting success of Black people. They work to dismantle systems of oppression and violence and to support Black leaders. You can donate on their website.

The Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative (SNaP Co.) is a Black trans- and queer-led collective in Atlanta focused on the divestment from the prison industrial complex and investment on social services. They work to end the mass incarceration and criminalization of Black queer or trans women, and all members of the Black community. They have a number of programs, resources, and events. You can donate on their website.

The Center for Black Equity (CBE-Pride) is an organization focused on the education, engagement, and empowerment of the Black LGBTQ community. They are focused on improving health care, monetary stability, and equal rights to Black queer people. You can donate on their website.

The Knights & Orchids Society (TKO) is a grassroots movement founded and led by Black transgender, queer, and gender non-conforming people through rural areas of Alabama and across the South. They focus on group economics, education, leadership development, and organizing cultural work. You can sign up to volunteer or give a donation.

Started as a print magazine in 1991, COLOURS is a Philadelphia-based non-profit focused on providing positive and progressive educational, advocacy, and support mechanisms for Black queer people. They focus on HIV/AIDS education and support, host a number of community support groups including Men of COLOURS United, geared to Black LGBTQ males and the Ujima project for newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals of color. You can attend their events and donate.

The Black AIDS Institute (BAI) is a Black think-tank focused on stopping the HIV epidemic in Black communities. They provide direct HIV services and care to Black people and focuses on the engagement and mobilization of Black institutions and individuals. They have programs based in Los Angeles, and national programs. You can donate on their website.

Black Transmen Inc is a social advocacy organization that focuses on empowering Black transgender men. They address issues related to the intersection of racial, sexual orientation, and gender identities. They have a number of programs for housing, mentoring, and healthcare. You can become an advocate or member, join a giving circle, or donate.

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is a civil rights organization working to empower Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including those living with HIV/AIDS. They work to support Black queer people in the workplace, create affirming family relationships, make schools more inclusive, secure housing, support those impacted by the prison industrial complex, and provide healthcare. They have a number of campaigns and projects to get involved with and take donations.

The Starfruit Project is a creative writing and performance program that centers on queer and trans Black artists. They host both virtual and in-person events, shows, classes, and workshops and publish a number of writing prompts and interviews and features of Black LGBTQ artists.

The Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat & Historical Center, or as it's more affectionately known, The House Of GG, is a educational and historical center working for social justice in southern trans communities Founded by Black trans activist and veteran of the Stonewall Uprising, Miss. Major Griffin-Gracy (also known as Miss. Major), House of GG is a permanent home in Arkansas, where all trans people are welcome, You can sign up for a retreat, donate, or buy something from their store.

The Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP) is an organization for Black, low-income transgender women, trans women of color, and their families who are in prison, formerly incarcerated, or targeted by the police. They host educational workshops inside and outside of prisons, jails, and detentions centers, help their community members with re-entry, and give legal support. You can donate on their website.

The Black Queer & Intersectional Collective is a grassroots community organization in Central Ohio. They work towards the liberation of Black LGBTQ people through direct action, community organizing, education, and creating uplifting and affirming spaces. Membership is for Black queer and trans folks, but non-Black people who want to actively help can become an "Accomplice" (they don't use the term "ally"). They host a number of events and programs, sell self-published magazines or zines, give material donations food, clothing, makeup, and hygiene products, or donate on their PayPal and Patreon.

SisTers PGH is a Black trans-led, transgender community center, that provides supportive services and emergency shelter and housing for trans and non-binary people in Pittsburg. They focus on outreach, education, trans inclusion training, and advocacyYou can donate on their website.

The Black LGBTQIA + Migrant Project is a steering committee of the Transgender Law Center. They focus on community-building, political education, creating access to direct services, and organizing across borders, and are dedicated to the liberation of Black LGBTQ migrants and all Black LGBTQ people. You can attend a virtual meeting and check out their Instagram for upcoming events.

The Art Hoe Collection (AHC) is a digital art collective and platform started by Black queer people. They provide a safe space for creatives of color to connect and show their work. They offer grants to artists of color to assist with art projects and living expenses. You can donate to the collective or to the grant fund.

The Homeless Black Trans Women Fund is a community fund for Black trans women that live in Atlanta who are sex workers and/or dealing with housing insecurity. The fund helps provide housing, cell phones, food, and living expenses, and is working to end violence to trans women in the south.

The Brave Space Alliance is a Black and trans-led LGBTQ Center on the South Side of Chicago. They are dedicated to creating and providing affirming, culturally competent resources, programming, and services for LGBTQ individuals. They strive to empower, embolden, and educate through mutual aid, knowledge-sharing, and the creation of community-sourced resources. You can volunteer or donate.

bklyn boihood is a Black-led collective of queer and trans "bois" of color who create spaces for their community to thrive. They host parties, events, trips, and workshops and wrote a book called Outside the XY: Queer, Black and Brown Masculinity. You can book a training or workshop or donate.

FEMMEPREMACY advocates for the visibility and safety of Black and POC femmes. They host queer/trans people of color (QTPOC) parties, workshops, and events, centered on Black femmes and monthly queer dance parties in New York. You can donate to their Venmo.

The BGD Project is a multi-faceted literary and artistic organization for Black, Indigenous, and people of color who are queer, trans, and non-binary. BGD Press publishes books by queer and trans writers of color and focus on collaborative education, media, and community projects.

Southern Fried Queer Pride (SFQP) is an Atlanta-based non-profit organization focused on empowering Black queer and QTPOC-centered communities in the South through the arts. They host workshops and events and create spaces for Black queer artists to show their work. You can become a sponsor, make a donation, or check out their online store.

Tournament Haus Fund is a mutual-aid fund for Black and Indigenous trans community members, as well as folks who identify within the QTPOC spectrum, in the Kiki Ballroom scene in the Pacific Northwest, specifically between Portland, Tacoma, and Seattle. You can donate to their fund to give microgrants to BIPOC in the Ballroom/club scene.

BreakOUT! is a Black-led organization working to end the criminalization of LGBTQ youth and build a safer and more just New Orleans. They work with LGBTQ youth ages 13-25 to directly impact the criminal justice system with youth organizing, healing justice, and leadership development programs. You can donate or visit their online shop.

P0STB1NARY WORLD is a Black founded, DC-based arts platform, and artist network uplifting the autonomy, safety, wellness, and creative development of Black and non-white trans and gender-expansive people. They run the pb.directory, a growing list of QTPOC independent artists and mutual aid. You can become a monthly patron or donate to the mutual fund.

Trans Women of Color Collective (TWOCC) is a Black-led non-profit created to cultivate economic opportunities and affirming spaces for trans people of color and their families. They focus on restorative justice and healing through arts, culture, media, advocacy, and activism. You can donate on their website.

Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC) is a Black-led organization dedicated to justice for all trans people of color. They work to amplify trans stories, support trans leadership, and challenge issues of racism, transphobia, and trans misogyny. They are currently working on fighting for justice for Tony McDade. You can look at their social media for updates and ways to get invovled.