We have all been waiting—and then waiting some more—to see what’s next from this new administration and Congress. This is contributing to a climate of anxiety, fear, and anticipation that we are living with every day as we try to figure out what this political reality will mean for ourselves, our families, and our world.
In the past few weeks, our communities have been made targets in new and profound ways, and we know we are only at the beginning of the fight for our values—and our lives. Our future is uncertain and the threats of more dehumanizing executive orders, future anti-LGBTQ legislation, and more appointees with no regard for the most vulnerable among us are painfully real. It is clear that we are living in a world where we should regularly expect attempts to undermine our civil rights and roll back the progress our movements have made toward lived and legal equality.
At Pride Foundation, our response is to be vigilant in standing together with you to protect our rights and our communities. It is also to be proactive in creating systems of support that ensure our resistance is strong and effective.
Today we are formally launching a Rapid Response Fund that will provide critical and timely support to organizations that are leading the work to protect our families and communities. These groups are creating safety measures, responding to legal challenges, organizing responses to incidents of hate, and providing mental health support to the many LGBTQ people who are in crisis right now.
With your support, we can create a fund that will ensure the organizations strengthening our movements for justice have the additional support they need in the tumultuous months and years ahead. Pride Foundation has committed to seed this fund with a $25,000 investment because we know that it is critical for us to show up for our community at a moment like this.
As you consider how you will respond to this new era we are struggling to live in, we ask you to join us in making an investment in the Rapid Response Fund.
We cannot predict what the future will hold for our community. It is literally changing by the minute. But with your support, we will counter any and all attempts to undermine the dignity and worth of our communities with an even stronger stand for humanity and fairness.
Kris Hermanns is Pride Foundation’s CEO. Email Kris.