What is a good gay rights charity to donate to?

[rhino47]

I really feel the rights of gays are under attack.I also feel this is not just a gay issue but everyones issue.I really want to help.Also it would help me with my anger issues.Every time I hear a stupid anti-gay comment instead of ranting it would do my soul good to
donate to a charity.Any suggestions?Thanks in advance.

[Bertha Venation]

1. I suggest P-Flag. (edited to add url and mission statement)

That stands loosely for "parents, freinds and families of lesbians and gays."

http://www.pflag.org/

Our Mission

PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.

Our Vision

We, the parents, families and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons, celebrate diversity and envision a society that embraces everyone, including those of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Only with respect, dignity and equality for all will we reach our full potential as human beings, individually and collectively. PFLAG welcomes the participation and support of all who share in, and hope to realize this vision.

[Lindacooks]

17. Yes, PFLAG is a great organization.

Every time a wingnut in our town writes a foaming anti-gay letter to the paper, we donate to PFLAG.

I need to let that Repuke know this!

[BR_Parkway]

2. Not sure who to donate to, I would look locally myself rather than one of

the big ones. And if you're going to donate every time, I hope you have deep pockets....

[rhino47]

3. Everytime my freeper brother in law opens his bigoted mouth

and when I hear yet another "christian" start on a rant.I will dig deep.

[MsTryska]

4. Human Rights Campaign

is fighting for gay marriage.
they are also the group responsible for those yellow and blue bumper stickers with the equal signs.


be warned in advance - you will get LOTS of those bumper stickers.

http://www.hrc.org/

Our Mission Statement
As America's largest gay and lesbian organization, the Human Rights Campaign provides a national voice on gay and lesbian issues. The Human Rights Campaign effectively lobbies Congress; mobilizes grassroots action in diverse communities; invests strategically to elect a fair-minded Congress; and increases public understanding through innovative education and communication strategies.

HRC is a bipartisan organization that works to advance equality based on sexual orientation and gender expression and identity, to ensure that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

[Siyahamba]

14. Seconded

They fight for a wide range of LGBT issues, not only equal marriage but immigration rights and other laws we need.

[nostamj]

5. Human Rights Campaign Fund

www.hrc.org

[Kikosexy2]

6. Log Cabin...

Republicans--hhehehehehe--NOT--P-FLAG, ACT UP are good enough.

[Siyahamba]

18. Though, there are the Stonewall Democrats

http://www.stonewalldemocrats.org/

Worth checking out. :)

[Maat]

7. Rhino47 -

I felt the same way after the election. So I posted. DUers recommended Human Rights Campaign (hrc.org). I joined, giving the minimum for a membership, because I usually wait after an initial donation to see how the org.'s administration performs. I was disappointed when their effective spokesperson, Cheryl Jacques, quit.

I just set up a monthly donation to PFLAG, because I decided that they were performing an invaluable service, and had been fairly consistent in their supportive positions.

I'm trying to set up monthly donations to the causes I believe in; it is going to help me cope during the next four years.

[rhino47]

9. That sounds like good advice

I think I will join PFLAG and also donate to act up.
Thanks for your input.

[Maat]

11. I will let you know how something works out ...

what I did was set up a monthly donation to the national organization. That is what gets confusing to me. I have my national Democracy for America, and my local Democracy for America. I have the national PFLAG, and the local PFLAG.

Then I checked out the local chapter, to which I will pay dues. I will be attending the first meeting this Sunday, but I will only be able to stay for a few minutes, since I am taking the California Bar Test the next week. So, I'm going to see how everything fits together.

Then I'll let everyone know about my experience.

I'm heavily involved in the local Democracy for America.

Interesting how this networking and support is going to work out.

[sui generis]

8. HRC - Human Rights Campaign

For political causes and lobbying

For local causes - this one is important:

There may be a local food bank in your community that provides food to people and families with AIDS - every time you get angry you can go buy a bunch of butter and sugar and flour and canned and boxed goods and even frozen chicken/turkey - you know you can buy a bunch of stuff for just $25 or thirty bucks and it makes a huge difference, and it's even more fun if you take friends - you will absolutely glow for the rest of the day.

I get my whole rugby team together and we descend on an Albertson's or Tom Thumb store and fill up the local food bank shelves for Thanksgiving and Christmas, plus most of us individually deliver food all year long.

[Maat]

12. Wow - that is a great idea!

n/t

[TaleWgnDg]

10. Oh, wow . . . there are so many of them . . .

.
Oh, wow . . . there are so many of them . . . and such need for financial support. How about

ACLU, Lesbian & Gay Rights Project at http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRightsMain.cfm

This is one of the oldest non-profit legal organizations in the country that has assisted gays
http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/iowa/about/index.html
http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/iowa/about/nhq/index

Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) who represented both gay couples in Vermont (civil union) and in Massachusetts (gay marriage) issues
http://www.glad.org/
(although they are a non-profit law firm and information resource center in Massachusetts, they have gone out of state to assist others in gay marriage issues and related issues)

National Center for Lesbian Rights . . . although the name indicates lesbians only, not so their work because they also represent gay men, and others . . . they, too, are a non-profit law firm and information research organization
http://www.nclrights.org/

You appear to be in Pennsylvania according to your DU profile, so how about this http://www.center4civilrights.org/aboutus.htm

There are many more but here is a starting point for your consideration. As you can probably tell, these are all non-profit law firms who actually offer legal services and represent gay ppl in litigation.

[kweerwolf]

13. Some other options ...

I'm sure you could find numerous worthy gay charities in your own community. Most cities have services such as clinics for persons with HIV/AIDS, food pantries, services for battered GLBTs, anti-violence hotlines, etc. But there are other national GLBT groups that you might want to check into. They include:

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (www.thetaskforce.org)

Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (www.glsen.org)

Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (www.glaad.org)

Community United Against Violence (www.cuav.org)

There are also GLBT-related projects within the ACLU and NOW, too, and I'm sure they could use some support.

If you want to keep your money within "the Democratic family," there is National Stonewall Democrats (www.stonewalldemocrats.org)

One other point ... I know several have suggested donating to the Human Rights Campaign, but HRC is not popular among some portions of the GLBT communities. HRC was embroiled in controversy in January over a statement they made about working with the Bush administration on Social Security reform (then they backed away from their earlier statements). Among grassroots GLBT activists, HRC is viewed as an organization primarily for wealthy, closested gays to donate money to so they don't have to come out and actually get their hands dirty doing real political activism.

[Lex]

15. The Point Foundation helps gay kids go to college if

they have been cut off from funding from their parents (kicked out of the house and that sort of thing).

You can learn more about it here:
http://www.thepointfoundation.org/

You can see the recent kids who've gotten scholarship awards here:
http://www.thepointfoundation.org/scholars.html

Great organization.

[foreigncorrespondent]

16. Forget HRC!

HRC = Human Rights Campaign.

If you search through the LGBT section of DU you will find an article that was in there from last year. Basically it shows how the new head of the HRC is a DINO! A lot of LGBT DUers were saying that they were no longer going to donate to HRC because of this.

But I will give you some links for you to make your own choices:

http://www.aallnet.org/sis/srsis/links/glbtrights.html Lots of organizations listed here.

http://www.gaycityusa.com/Organizations.htm Another with a long list.

And my top four choices would be: (Not in any set order)

http://www.victoryfund.org/ (Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund)

http://www.glaad.org/ (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)

http://www.pflag.org/ (Parents, families, and friends of lesbians and gays)

http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/iowa/index.html (LAMBDA Legal)