ABOVE: Protesters in downtown Orlando during the “Justice for #AllBlackLives Rally” earlier this month. (Photo by Jeremy Williams)
ORLANDO | A Central Florida LGBTQ+ advocacy group has created a donation fund to financially support organizations seeking to empower the Black LGBTQ+ community.
The All Black Lives Fund was created by Contigo Fund and officially launched June 10 to coincide with the “Justice for #AllBlackLives Rally” that took place at Orlando City Hall the same day.
The purpose of the fund is to “dedicate funding to frontline LGBTQ+ organizing groups and efforts that are Black LGBTQ+ led in Central Florida to build on the movement for Black lives –particularly those led by and for Black transgender, gender nonconforming, … gender nonbinary community and sex workers.”
“The Black LGBTQ+ Central Florida community feels invisible and neglected,” Daniel Downer, a community board member of Contigo Fund, says.“We have been on the frontlines of economic, racial and social justice throughout history. Fighting for the equity and equality of the Black heterosexual community and broader LGBTQ community but not having either of those communities fight for us … We are ready to see a change in Central Florida, in which the lives and rights of Black LGBTQ+ individuals in Central Florida are protected and respected and our voices are heard.”
According to Contigo Fund, supporting the grassroots efforts of such organizations will help to “build visibility and power, promote safety and amplify demands of those most impacted by both anti-Black racism and gender discrimination.”
For Downer, this intersectional approach to fostering inclusivity is the key in effectively dismantling the intertwining oppressions that disempower members of the Black LGBTQ+ community.
“Intersectionality is crucial to the heart of social equity,” he says.“It illuminates the disparities, inequities and oppression that marginalized individuals have experienced for centuries. Without an intersectional lens, the perpetuation of inequities and oppression towards marginalized individuals will not only continue but worsen.”
The All Black Lives Fund is receiving financial backing from Out in The South Fund, an initiative that distributes grant money in an effort to “catalyze locally-driven Southern funds that address the needs and strengthen the assets of LGBTQ+ communities in the South.”
The collaboration between the two funds came about through their mutual belief in the power of conscious action to create an impactful form of solidarity.
“[The] partnership with OTS happened naturally because [our] values aligned and [we] both wanted to demonstrate that solidarity goes beyond words alone: it requires us all to take action in whatever way we can,” Downer says.
The grant given by Out in The South Fund is a 3-to-1 matching grant, meaning that for every dollar donated to the All Black Lives Fund, Out in the South Fund will donate three dollars in return.
Apart from donating to the All Black Lives Fund, Downer says that people can help progress the fight for racial and LGBTQ+ equality through a diligent process of self-examination, educating oneself and one’s peers, using outside resources and showing solidarity with Black LGBTQ+ activists.
“Understand your own biases and privileges, speak up about racial and social inequality to those around you and keep the conversation continuously going,” he says. “Take it upon yourself to educate yourself and see it through no matter the discomfort. Use this Anti-Racism toolkit … Follow and share [local Black LGBTQ+ leaders and organizations] on social media; hire them for your diversity and inclusion training, partner with them and invest in them – whether in kind or monetarily.”
Black LGBTQ+-led organizations in Central Florida include Divas in Dialogue, an initiative under Miracle of Love, Inc.; We Exist, led by One Orlando Alliance’s Charlotte “Cha Cha” Davis; and The Bros in Convo Initiative, founded by Downer.
Amplifying the perspectives of Black LGBTQ+ communities, according to Downer, aligns with the tradition of social justice that has often by spearheaded by people of color.
“History has shown us that the successful work of economic, racial and social justice movements has always been led by people of color,” he says.
The All Black Lives Fund is part of a long-term restorative process that aims to improve the quality of life for Black LGBTQ+ individuals.
“Contigo envisions [the fund as] being an ongoing philanthropic endeavor[,] recognizing that our Black LGBTQ+ communities have historically been under-resourced and pushed to the margins of society, opportunity and power,” Downer says. “This historic moment calls on all of us to be a part of yet another transformative moment in the movement for All Black Lives.”
To contribute to the All Black Lives Fund, click here.
