By Benton Murphy, Senior Advisor, Impact
Benton Murphy
Pride Month presents an opportunity to celebrate how far we have come as a nation in fostering safer, more secure and welcoming communities for LGBTQ+ people. This was not the case when I came out in the 1990’s in rural Colorado. At the time, the murder of Matthew Shepard was still fresh in our minds, and we faced efforts like Colorado’s notorious Amendment 2, that would have barred the state from protecting gay and lesbian people from discriminations.
Like so many others in the LGBTQ+ community, it was hard for me to come out in the face of a hostile community. I came out in high school and faced a lot of bullying, violence and trauma, but I never looked back, because living out and proud is the only way I can be.
With the passage of the Marriage Equality Act and the wind-down of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, our country has made progress. In 1996 when the Supreme Court struck down Amendment 2, only 27% of Americans supported marriage equality. Today, more than 70% of Americans support it. But there is still much work to do, even in a place as diverse and open-minded as our region.
In Greater Washington, more than 10% of residents identify as LGBTQ+, with nearly 20% of youth self-identifying as LGBTQ+. Our 2020 VoicesDMV Community Insights survey found that nearly one in 10 LGBTQ+ Greater Washington residents experience discrimination on a daily basis, as compared to just 2% of non-LGBTQ+ residents. Over the past year, a total of 55% of LGBTQ+ residents said they felt discriminated against.
These are just a few of many reasons why, this month, we are proud to announce new investments in the LGBTQ+ community. Despite the concentration of LGBTQ+ people in our region, Greater Washington’s nonprofit support network for the LGBTQ+ community has been perpetually underfunded. While this is a national issue (only 28 cents of every $100 granted by philanthropies nationally support LGBTQ+ issues), local nonprofits supporting LGBTQ+ communities also compete for donor attention, especially with national advocacy groups located here in Washington. Over time, we hope to offer even more funding opportunities for local groups supporting local LGBTQ+ communities, especially BIPOC individuals.
I’m excited to announce these new investments in LGBTQ+-led and serving organizations working to improve the lives of our LGBTQ+ community.
Investments include:
A $30,000 grant to SMYAL for leading a coalition of LGBTQ+ groups striving to ensure the District budget process sufficiently addresses and funds the community’s needs, including services for violence prevention, and housing for LGBTQ+ youth. Our grant is co-funded by our Partnership to End Homelessness in recognition of SMYAL’s advocacy efforts focused on housing and homelessness for youth.
A $20,000 grant to the Wanda Alston Foundation to support 21 youths who are experiencing homelessness. Alston’s Place is a transitional housing program for youth ages 18-24. Funds will be used to support emergency needs of program participants who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19, including updating legal documents, addressing physical and mental health needs, enrolling in continuing education programs, and securing steady employment.
These investments were made using a participatory grantmaking approach. A majority BIPOC and entirely LGBTQ+ grants committee not only reviewed and scored applications, but also set our funding priorities. These are individuals who know the needs in our region well—and how COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted our LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. In many places, the social safety net that helps LGBTQ+ people to access needed services, especially housing, is gone or severely disrupted.
I’m excited that The Community Foundation is prioritizing the opportunity to listen to the LGBTQ+ community, gain a better understanding of its needs, and make investments now and into the future! It’s both a professional and personal cause for me--one I’m excited and humbled to be part of helping lead. We’ve come a long way, and have a long way still to go. I hope you’ll join us.