We expected a backlash. As the United States closed out the 2010s, legal protections for same-sex couples, normalising dialogue about pronouns, and visibility in popular culture seemed to be bringing in a new era of acceptance for LGBTQI+ people.

But history continues to show us that in any part of the world, progress towards equity and liberation will energise forces eager to push us back. In the mid-2020s, not only are we fighting to keep the protections we fought for, but we are also confronting an emboldened movement of discrimination and hate. This push and pull towards global liberation are what the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice has come to expect, but this year, the tension is extremely heightened.

Queer people have always been very familiar with safety protocols. As a community, we have long integrated intersectional feminist principles in our relationships and community spaces to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Things like traveling in groups, disclosing your identity to only trusted people, texting when you have safely arrived home, unmarked gathering spaces, creating underground networks for accessing hormones, learning physical self-defense techniques, securing second parent adoptions even when you are legally married – these are all examples of LGBTQI+ communities’ acknowledgement that despite any cultural shifts or hard-won legal rights, we are still vulnerable to oppressive systems and violence.

However, in 2024, the landscape feels distinctly different.

By December of this year, at least 70 countries around the world will have held elections. We are seeing trends that candidates and political parties that thrive on fear and prejudice have increased in political power. The outsized effects of this month’s U.S. election will continue to impact global politics. People outside the country are bracing themselves for what is to come. Tragically, marginalised groups will likely face continued and increased violence.

Anti-trans sentiment, xenophobia, fear of immigrants, and brazen racism are now par for the course. For those of us in the United States, we recognise that these have been baked into U.S.  culture and policies since its inception, and that the current surge is deeply rooted in historically bigoted systems that are similar to those in many countries around the world. In the U.S., we have heard from activist groups that need bullet-proof glass to protect their volunteers and staff working at walk-up service counters.

Organisations serving trans people are stock-piling hormones, as their home states threaten to place major restrictions on affirming healthcare, if they haven’t already. Doxing has become a serious concern for visible community leaders, whose work requires them to be reachable online but are then left vulnerable to being outed and physically attacked. Regardless of their mission, queer organisations across the spectrum are experiencing big spikes in client demand, resulting in short-staffed orgs struggling to keep up.

As a radical, queer, feminist funder, what is the Astraea Foundation’s role during this new era of fear and violence? Our close and collaborative relationships with our grantee partners give us real-time perspective on what is needed. In the immediate future, we are keeping our supporters informed of what is happening on the ground and raising funds to fill urgent gaps in support, beyond our usual grant cycles. Longer term, we are monitoring how the 2024 election will impact communities domestically and internationally.

If we are to adapt to the ripples of U.S. political shifts, philanthropy must actively prepare and advocate for our communities’ changing needs. With sustained liberation as the ultimate goal, our collective futures demand that we push for flexible funding models that respond the best way philanthropy can: in the moment, as needed, and whenever things shift for the worse.

This article is part of a series leading up to the Moving Money, Building Movements convening. Taking place one day before AWID’s 15th International Forum, the convening is for funders and activists to come together to connect and strategize. Please note the views in this article do not necessarily represent the views of all the organising partners of Moving Money, Building Movements.

The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice is public foundation that works in partnership with foundations, individuals, and governments to ensure that their resources reach the activists who need them most and who are best positioned to make transformational impact over time.