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May 17, 2021

Ms. Foundation on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

NEW YORK (May 17, 2021) – Ms. Foundation for Women President and CEO Teresa C. Younger released the following statement in recognition of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia: 

“The Ms. Foundation for Women is dedicated to fighting for the political, social, and economic equality of all genders, including all members of the LGBTQIA community. Today, on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, we ask that our supporters recommit to pushing back against the reprehensible legislation affecting this community. 

“Make no mistake, this is about bodily autonomy, the right to have governance over our own bodies – specifically as it pertains to women, nonbinary, and transgender people. In the face of recent abhorrent legislation introduced by Arkansas and 16 other states, millions in the LGBTQIA community fight to ensure their personal human rights and gain visibility at-large, as these new laws work to prohibit doctors from providing transgender youth with gender-confirming hormone therapy, puberty blockers or gender-confirmation surgeries or from referring patients to other health care providers. For transgender youth in rural or suburban areas, with little to no access to providers, this will be disastrous and deadly. 

“While it’s still legal to discriminate against LGBTQIA people in almost 30 states, federal actions are looking to uphold human rights. President Biden recently enforced a Supreme Court ruling prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression through an executive order and new Title IX enforcements to protect transgender and other LGBTQIA people against health care discrimination. We urge Congress and State legislatures to build towards more inclusive communities.

“The Ms. Foundation for Women stands with all members of the LGBTQIA community and commits to continued support of grantee-partners such as, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, Trans Sistas of Color Project – Detroit, and more, who refuse to allow the criminalization or erasure of LGBTQIA bodies and experiences.”

Ms. Foundation spokespeople are available for interviews by phone or video from NYC. To schedule, please contact Sunshine Sachs at [email protected]. 

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For over 45 years, the Ms. Foundation for Women has worked to build women’s collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all. The Ms. Foundation invests in, and strengthens the capacity of women led movements to advance meaningful social, cultural, and economic change in the lives of women. With equity and inclusion as the cornerstones of true democracy, the Ms. Foundation works to create a world in which the worth and dignity of every person are valued, and power and possibility are not limited by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age.