A staggering new report shows just how quickly the philanthropic tide is turning against the queer community in the United States. In a year where trans rights were battered and political rhetoric turned toxic, LGBTQ+ groups found themselves staring at a $49 million shortfall in funding — a 22% plunge from 2022 when adjusted for inflation.
The numbers are as grim as the timing: just 20 cents of every $100 donated in 2023 was earmarked for LGBTQ+ causes. That’s not just a budgeting issue — it’s a crisis. As foundations tighten their purse strings, queer organizations, especially those serving trans people, queer women, and people of color, are left gasping for air in a political climate that’s already suffocating. “This stark decrease in funding is particularly troubling,” the report’s authors warned, pointing to an already paltry 2022 that barely kept pace with inflation.
Who’s Getting Left Behind?
The breakdown reveals systemic neglect. Transgender, gender-nonconforming, and non-binary communities saw just 17% of the total pot — meager considering the disproportionate heat they’re catching in state legislatures. Gay and queer men received 4%, while lesbian and bisexual women were handed less than 1%. Asexual people? Completely erased from the allocation table.
That kind of funding disparity is more than an oversight — it’s a glaring sign of who gets seen, and who doesn’t. “The lack of substantial dedicated funding for asexual people, bisexual people and queer women contributes to the erasure of the specific needs of these communities,” the report bluntly stated.
Worse still, funding for Black LGBTQ+ causes — especially urgent after a year of horrifying violence against Black trans women — dipped right along with everything else. With white supremacy still infecting every corner of American life, this drop isn’t just disappointing, it’s dangerous.
Dollars Down, Dangers Up
The timing couldn’t be worse. From book bans to drag bans, the queer community has spent 2023 dodging legislative attacks like dodgeballs in a gym class from hell. And now, with funding disappearing, organizations can’t even afford the metaphorical knee pads.
“This decrease… probably hindered the ability of grantees to work toward their missions,” the report stated, in what might be the understatement of the year. Without money, there are no programs. Without programs, there’s no support. And without support, the most vulnerable queer people are left to fend for themselves.
In her foreword, Funders for LGBTQ Issues president Saida Agostini Bostic put it plainly: “As we move into a new political landscape, with marked hostility towards progressive philanthropy, this report offers a path forward.” But until funders answer that call, it’s the same old question for queer folks: If not now, when? If not us, who?
This isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about survival — and the queer community deserves more than 20 cents on the dollar.