AAPIP recognizes that building greater democracy in philanthropy and in our communities requires a gender and equity framework that includes a sexuality lens, providing an opportunity to explore LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) AAPI issues.

AAPIP has a history of supporting LGBTQ AAPI communities since 2005.  In the past two years, AAPIP began a concerted effort to learn, research, and listen to LGBTQ AAPI groups and leaders to determine how to better partner and support this community.  Our research finds that the capacity and the infrastructure of LGBTQ AAPI groups varies widely with the level of engagement with their membership, their leadership and volunteer development, and program work.  The majority of groups are all-volunteer led and they play multiple roles, providing safe and affirming spaces for LGBTQ AAPI people through educational, social, cultural, and political activities.

Because of the continued lack of funding for LGBTQ AAPI communities and a lack of support for AAPI community organizations to integrate a sexuality lens and LGBTQ issues into their social justice work, AAPIP has identified a need to address these disparities in funding for LGBTQ AAPI communities, and to develop efforts to inform and educate the philanthropic field through the Queer Justice Fund.

GOALS OF THE PROGRAM

The goals of the Queer Justice Fund are:

*  To inform the philanthropic field and leverage new philanthropic capital to LGBTQ AAPI communities and issues

*  To build the capacity, infrastructure, and leadership of autonomous LGBTQ AAPI groups to ensure they are visible, empowered, and sustainable

*  To support alliance building between AAPI heterosexual organizations and LGBTQ AAPI community groups and to support the integration of LGBTQ AAPI issues and a sexuality lens to the organization and their programmatic work

*  To reach, engage, and build individual donors through local and national LGBTQ AAPI giving circles

Missed Opportunities: How Organized Philanthropy Can Help Meet the Needs of LGBTQ AAPI Communities, a new report from the Queer Justice Fund, finds deep disparities in funding to LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) AAPI (Asian American/Pacific Islanders), despite rapid growth of both communities. The report is being released on the eve of Creating Change 2012: The National Conference on LGBT Equality, the nation’s largest annual gathering of LGBT advocates, convened by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, and will be presented as part of the conference’s institute, AAPI Focus: Building a Queer AAPI Movement.