Pride Month is full of parties, parades, and lots of glitter. Behind the colorful celebrations is a purpose though: to raise awareness about the issues the LGBTQ+ community has overcome and continues to face.
You can show your support for the LGBTQ+ community in a way that’s a little more constructive than donning rainbow gear all month, watching that lesbian period drama you’ve been meaning to see for a while now, and buying from corporations that have made the impactful change of turning their slogans rainbow (Yay, I guess?).
Consider making real change, and actually supporting the LGBTQ+ community by donating to these 9 incredible Louisiana LGBTQ+ organizations.
House of Tulip
According to the US Trans Survey, 1 in 3 trans people in Louisiana reported experiencing homelessness at some point in their lives. This startling statistic, and the everyday struggles and discrimination trans and gender-nonconforming people have to deal with inspired the creation of the House of Tulip.
House of Tulip provides zero-barrier housing to TGNC people in need of a safe place to stay through a pilot permanent housing campus that will house up to 10 TGNC people at a time.
The organization also is working on acquiring a separate space that will serve as a community center for TGNC people, so they can access social safety net navigation, community programming, a hot meal, a shower, and a safe place to just hang out or do schoolwork.
To donate, click here.
Capital City Alliance
If you want to support the LGBTQ+ community in Baton Rouge, there is no better organization to donate to than the Capital City Alliance.
This community organization is dedicated to engaging, promoting, and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community in greater Baton Rouge through education, communication, advocacy, and community building.
Capital City Alliance is entirely run by volunteers, whose mission is to provide the platform, people, and resources to promote events of interest to the LGBTQ+ community, identify LGBTQ+ friendly professional resources and establishments, and advocate effectively for laws and policies that will have a positive impact on the local LGBTQ+ community.
To donate, click here.
Louisiana Trans Advocates
One of the most active groups in Louisiana in regard to advocacy for trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people is Louisiana Trans Advocates.
Seriously, this organization has done incredible things to achieve its mission of “advancing the core human rights of self-determination and expression for all in Louisiana.”
Louisiana Trans Advocates is focused on protecting the rights of transgender individuals, while also empowering intersecting communities that experience systemic oppression, especially people of color, the poor, immigrants, people with disabilities, and women and femme-identified people.
To donate, click here.
BreakOUT!
To support transgender, gender non-conforming, and queer youth of color in New Orleans, consider donating to BreakOUT!. The organization’s website explains, “BreakOUT! seeks to end the criminalization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth to build a safer and more just New Orleans.”
BreakOUT! Focuses on building the power of LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-25, and directly impacting the criminal justice system through youth organizing, healing justice, and leadership development programs. They even offer training for organizations, schools, and companies to help them become more LGBTQ+ inclusive.
Not to mention, they’re also currently raising money for transgender youth in New Orleans to help them update their names and gender markers, pay for immigration attorney fees, and expungement costs.
To donate, click here.
Project Lazarus
Project Lazarus provides transitional housing to people with HIV/AIDS who have nowhere else to stay. To each new resident, Project Lazarus offers individualized care that supports their personal needs and current stage of the disease.
When asked for comment, Project Lazarus responded, “The mission of Project Lazarus is to help heal and empower people living with HIV/AIDS by focusing on wellness, providing housing, and offering important support services. Project Lazarus was founded in 1985 by Fr. Paul Desrosiers and Fr. Bob Pawell as a safe space and hospice for people dying of HIV/AIDS with nowhere else to go. Nearly 40 years later, we continue to provide a safe space, transitional housing, and supportive services for people to “live in the positive.” During their stay at Project Lazarus, residents learn independent living skills and are provided with the tools and resources to overcome histories of homelessness, substance use, poverty, and lack of access to healthcare and mental health care. The need for our services remains consistent, and we need your help to provide housing, wellness, and support services for individuals living with HIV in our community.”
To date, more than 1000 men and women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS have benefitted from Project Lazarus’s program. The program emphasizes on its website that it “provides a safe haven for LGBTQ+ clientele” since a large portion of the people with HIV/AIDS are in the LGBTQ+ community.
To donate, click here.
New Orleans Lambda Center
The New Orleans Lambda Center provides a safe, LGBTQ+ inclusive space for AA meetings and additional 12 step fellowships.
The website explains, “The New Orleans Lambda Center is a safe place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning members of various 12 step programs to meet.”
The groups who meet at New Orleans Lambda Center are predominantly LGBTQ+, however, other people are welcome to attend meetings.
To donate, click here.
ACLU of Louisiana
Since 1965, the ACLU of Louisiana has worked not only to advance and preserve the rights and liberties of the LGBTQ+ community, but also other underrepresented groups whose constitutional rights are regularly threatened.
On their website, The ACLU of Louisana explains that they work “to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; women; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people; prisoners; and people with disabilities.” When it comes down to it, we have a lot of thanks to give to the ACLU of Louisiana for impacting LGBTQ+ civil rights reforms in the state.
To donate, click here.
Forum for Equality
Working tirelessly, Forum for Equality has been at the forefront of almost every major LGBTQ+ civil rights victory in Louisiana. On their website, they explain “Forum for Equality is Louisiana’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) human rights organization dedicated to the establishment of a society free from discrimination and to the support of good government.”
Using community organizing, education, and constructive participation, Forum for Equality is able to effectively accomplish its goals.
Advocacy efforts like extending employment, housing, and accommodations protections for the LGBTQ+ community, protecting city employees from discrimination in Louisiana’s biggest cities, educating legislators and communities about LGBTQ+ rights, and defeating anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that would harm and restrict our rights and freedoms, have been spearheaded by the Forum of Equality.
To donate, click here.
SAGE New Orleans
LGBTQ+ older adults face discrimination from both outside and inside the LGBTQ+ community. They suffer from unique problems, like facing discrimination when seeking medical treatment, having a higher likelihood to suffer from poverty, often feeling isolated, and feeling the need to go back in the closet while living in long-term care facilities.
Specifically formed to advocate for and support older LGBTQ+ adults, SAGE New Orleans is committed to ensuring LGBTQ+ older adults “live their best lives with the dignity, respect, and good health that they deserve.” SAGE New Orleans hosts events for LGBTQ+ older adults to socialize and get educated, along with trainings and workshops to increase cultural competency for providers.
To donate, click here.
