Official Statement on Supreme Court Attack on Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth

The Boston Women’s Fund is both saddened and enraged by the Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender affirming care for trans youth. The court’s failure to stand up for transgender people will endanger the lives of countless youth who know who they are and deserve access to medical care that could support their ability to thrive.

While this ruling does not impact access to gender affirmaing care in Massachusetts and other states where such care is presently legal, we are concerned that it could influence other lawsuits regarding trans youth and embolden states to enact deeper healthcare-related discrimination.

Gender-affirming care is life-saving care, and this ruling is a devastating step backward. A study by the Trevor Project showed that anti-trans laws increase suicide attempts by transgender and non-binary youth by 72%. This Supreme Court decision comes just hours after the Trump Administration ordered the LGBTQ youth suicide hotline to be shut down within 30 days. 

The Boston Women’s Fund continues to stand with our partners in defending the rights of transgender individuals. Transgender people deserve the right to determine their own future and live healthy lives — which inarguably requires equal access to life-saving medical care.

In the “land of the free,” access to healthcare should not be contingent upon one’s gender identity. We condemn this act of discrimination against the transgender community and will continue to fight for a future of liberation for all.

To learn more about this Supreme Court ruling and how you can join in to build power for trans communities, join our grantee partner, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, and the ACLU of Massachusetts at their upcoming virtual event. 

In Solidarity,

Natanja Craig Oquendo

Executive Director

Real Talk: Grassroots Organizations Need Us All To Step In

By: Kiarah Hortance, Senior Program Associate at Boston Women’s Fund

You don’t need me to tell you how urgent this time is for immigrant, migrant, and refugee communities. (At least, I hope not! 👀) In the wake of this administration’s horrific policies and actions targeting undocumented folks, immigrants, and anyone who appears to be so, we have found ourselves at yet another critical juncture where grassroots organizations and leaders are forced to bear the brunt of our collective responsibility (more on this later). 

Recently, Boston Women’s Fund assembled a committee of grantee partners, community leaders and allies in the immigrant justice movement, and members of the nonprofit movement building community to help us allocate $75,000 to grassroots organizations in Greater Boston advancing immigrant justice. Through our work interviewing the leaders of over 30 nominated organizations and the immigrants and migrants they serve, and reconnecting with our existing grantee partners, the stories we’ve gathered have been critical to our understanding of the current moment. Here’s what we’ve learned as a trusted partner of grassroots organizations in Greater Boston.

Boosting Direct Support & Security

Many immigrant-serving grassroots organizations are shifting toward boosting their direct support — increasing one-on-one services, making themselves available day and night, and strategizing to offer services that are in uncharted territory for their organization. At the same time, these organizations are limiting external access to their work and information to protect their staff and communities — removing staff information from websites, dialing back external communications, and prioritizing a word-of-mouth approach to promoting events and programs — even if it impacts their visibility and fundraising. These grassroots organizations are doing everything in their power to build community and provide critical services in the face of surveillance from authorities and our government, threats to their staff’s and constituents’ safety, and fear. 

Navigating Funding Cuts

It’s worth noting that these grassroots organizations are offering more support to immigrants, migrants, and their families while also reporting cuts to institutional funding and an abandonment of trust-based philanthropy as funders seek to minimize liability and protect their resources and power. Thirty-six percent of our grantee partners have experienced funding cuts since this administration took office. For most of these organizations, these cuts have created a gap of up to 30% in their budgets. Where one might expect the local, state, or federal government to be the source of these funding cuts, the reality is different — philanthropic institutions are the most common offender. Many of our grantee partners shared that institutions often cited strategic pivots to “dial back” in response to anti-DEI executive orders. As a grantmaker and a grant-seeker, BWF is no stranger to uncertainty in this current moment, but we urge our fellow funders to remember that the chill effect is, in part, this administration’s goal.

Holding The Community’s Trauma 

In my conversations with our existing grantee partners, a leader shared, “our proximity to trauma is traumatic.” At BWF, we believe that leaders should come from within their own communities. However, we cannot overlook the toll of fighting against systems that harm leaders just as much as the people they serve. Why have we accepted such a disparity of investment where grassroots leaders lean in and everyone else leans back? We cannot allow the organizations and leaders closest to communities facing harm to be the only ones putting themselves on the line. The responsibility to meet the current moment is on ALL of us.

How To Step In

I won’t pretend that I, my colleagues, or our board of directors have all the answers. But we won’t let that stop us. We recognize how easy it is to hesitate, retreat, and fall into old molds where resources are deemed more worthy of protection than people. As funders, what might it look like to prioritize a return on community? Is it really a “waste” to fund an organization that may not be here next year if they’re providing a service that their community is asking for? If meeting the urgent needs of current and potential grantees truly detracts from your strategic plan, shouldn’t that tell you something?

As individuals, we look to the four Ts of philanthropy. Every single one of us has time, talent, treasure, and/or tradition to offer each other. So, I ask you this — what do you know about the community you live and work in? How do you all communicate with each other? What are some ways you can be a more active member? What about the community/ies next to you?

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P.S. I’d be remiss if I wrote a piece about the current movement for immigrant justice and didn’t highlight the incredible work of the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts, a coalition of immigrant-led, grassroots organizations (including BWF grantee partners) who are doing critical organizing, information sharing, and mutual aid work in this moment. If you’d like to support their work, volunteer, and/or participate in their advocacy efforts, visit their website here.

Meet Our New Senior Director of Program & Strategy — Aditi Dholakia

BWF is thrilled to welcome Aditi Dholakia (she/they) to the team! As the Senior Director of Program & Strategy, Aditi will oversee the design and implementation of programs that support BWF grantee partners, Horizon Collective, and youth leaders.

We connected with Aditi to learn more about them and what they're looking forward to in this role!

What’s your background/experience in philanthropy or activism work?

I’ve worked in the Boston social sector for the past four plus years at the intersection of nonprofits and philanthropy. My primary experience is in strengthening the social sector infrastructure, focusing on supporting grassroots organizations and movements for change. I’m not originally from Boston, and it’s been a gift to learn from incredible community leaders and organizations, including BWF, over the years!

What are you most looking forward to in your new role as Senior Director of Program & Strategy?

I’m really excited to connect with our community partners to learn more about how BWF can better support your work through our programs, and how we can strategize with our partners to build a more just world. I’m excited to laugh, learn, dance, break bread, cry, heal, and more with all of y’all!

What’s one of your favorite hobbies outside of work?

One of my favorite hobbies is cooking, especially for my friends and family! I love experimenting in the kitchen, bringing my community together over a hearty, loving meal. (I don’t love cleaning up afterwards, but that’s a problem for later me.) Now that the weather is warming up, you can also find me tending to me container garden outside! Right now, I’m growing tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, kale, beets, and herbs. Stay tuned to see what else pops up!

What are some fun facts about you?

1. I can wiggle my ears!

2. I speak four languages: Gujarati, English, German, and Hindi

3. Bonus: My sourdough starter’s name is Breaditi Doughlakia.

What's a quote that gives you life?

“No one is healed in isolation.” — bell hooks

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” — Arundhati Roy