Over the last decade, trans, travesti, and non-binary organising has had considerable impact on public universities in Brazil, inspired by a legacy of anti-racist and anti-ableist struggles. Last September, in a crowded auditorium in one of the country’s largest universities, the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), a public hearing organised by trans movements focused on the adoption of affirmative action for trans people.

At this event, speakers framed the collective demand for ‘trans quotas’ as part of an unapologetic call for the university to transition. Such a call builds on long and rich histories of trans-led organising, in which organisations such as Ateliê TRANSmoras (an ITF grantee partner) and the Trans Consciousness Center are two key stakeholders, framing the presence of trans people beyond inclusion paradigms.

As funders and activists come together at the Moving Money, Building Movements convening in December, we take inspiration from this call to invite the philanthropic community, in solidarity with feminist funds and organisations, to engage in profound transitions.

That is, to consider transitions in their queerest, anti-colonial senses, not as a cis-heteronormative makeover. Transition with a meaning that invites us to weave movements, acknowledge marginalised trajectories, and rise together. This means not only building and expanding trans-inclusive practices and resourcing, but also carrying out a profound, existential reappraisal of the sector. 

Chronic under-resourcing of trans movements

The under-resourcing of trans movements has long been documented, and the recently published 3rd edition of the State of Trans Organizing report highlights both the urgency and the precarity of this work. Among the key findings of this research was that the vast majority of trans organisations (76%) received less than $50,000 of external funding in 2022, with nearly one-third (30%) receiving none.

Trans organisations across the globe lack the resources to build capacities and strengthen their institutions as they chase project funding, leaving many on the brink of collapse. Trans leaders face persecution and violence, which contributes to movement-wide burnout. Despite this reality, trans movements continue to fight, to organise, and to make life-saving and strategic gains.

Falling together… in resistance

The strengthening of anti-gender and anti-rights movements has bolstered authoritarianism and triggered the rollback of rights across the globe. In a moment that demands solidarity and cross-movement strategies, we also see the expansion of anti-trans narratives and trans-exclusionary activity within the context of feminist and womens’ rights organising and funding. Indeed, grantmaking programs focused specifically on women and girls, children and youth, sexual and reproductive rights, healthcare access, and many other fields struggle to meaningfully include trans people. Anti-gender actors have exploited these tensions for maximum impact. 

Yet, trans movements stand at the nexus of struggles for human rights, bodily autonomy, and the defense of democracy. Worldwide, trans organisations are advocating for the right to self-determination regarding gender identity and expression, for competent and affirming healthcare, safety from violence, equitable economic opportunities, and the right to self-organise. These efforts are crucial in the advancement of human rights, and their success or defeat holds major implications for broader and intersecting movements.

The good news is that there have been notable transitions. In the State of Trans Organizing report, trans-led organisations reported an increase in feminist and LGBTI intermediary foundations integrating trans-inclusive grantmaking, including globally and regionally focused funders—especially in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia. The role of intermediary feminist and LGBTI NGOs in specifically supporting trans organisations also increased significantly, and while we celebrate this shift, these funding increases are not sufficient to meet the trans movement’s needs, being precarious at best.

Transition pathways: dive, connect, rise

Transitions are about profound change, and we work towards a world where transitions create more equitable and creative ways of being, and bridge the gaps for our collective liberation. We would like to offer three pathways for institutional  transitions:

1. Dive

Trans movements are complex, diverse, and nuanced. Assumptions about the capacities and skills within trans movements, combined with the lack of official data about trans populations, perpetuate the under-resourcing of trans organisations. We encourage funders to dive deep and explore how your grantmaking is (or is not) reaching trans-led organisations and transition away from funding work that further excludes and marginalises trans people. 

2. Connect

Trans people have traditionally been excluded from seats of power, including within philanthropy. We urge you to look at how you can proactively bring trans perspectives, particularly those from the global majority, into your work and institutions (as employees, consultants, and advisors). We invite you to embrace the knowledge and expertise present in trans movements as a vital resource for expanding and (re)shaping your structures and funding strategies. 

3. Rise 

Trans organisations are doing dynamic intersectional work. Across all regions, trans activists are at the vanguard of social justice movements. Rising together is about trusting that more equitably distributed resources are the best way towards our collective liberation. Transitioning towards trust requires mutual care and presence: trans organisations need core support but also require rapid response funding to respond nimbly and specifically to crises and opportunities. We urge you to support models that foster trust, create room for experimentation and synergies, and consider how to support trans-led organisations beyond their trans-related work.  

The International Trans Fund (ITF) is the only trans-led, global funder and can act as a thought leader and connector for your institutions.

We are thankful for the feedback and contributions from Amaranta Gómez Regalado, Deya Bhattacharya, and Ezra Nepon in the writing of this piece.

Viviane Vergueiro Simakawa (she/her) is a Program Officer at the International Trans Fund (ITF). She has worked for more than 10 years in trans and gender studies and in trans activism, with a focus on the depathologisation of trans identities, data production on trans populations, and the existence of trans, non-binary, gender nonconforming people in academia and other spaces.

Broden Giambrone (he/him) is the Executive Director of the International Trans Fund (ITF). He has been involved in trans activism and movement building for over 20 years.