London Bi Pandas Raise Hardship Fund for Vulnerable LGBT+ People
After the coronavirus pandemic hit, the London Bi Pandas initiated a hardship fund for vulnerable LGBT+ groups and have raised more than £20,000.
The London-based community group used their fundraising efforts to help LGBT+ groups like trans+ and non-binary people, migrants, BIPOC, disabled, homeless, elderly, those living in poverty and/or unwaged, sex workers and other marginalisations, according to ‘Gay Times’.
The fund is open to London residents and the group hopes that the success of the fundraiser will inspire other community groups all over the U.K. to pursue similar efforts.
The London Bi Pandas said: “We are incredibly humbled to see our community rally behind this incredibly important hardship fund. The project has exceeded beyond any of our expectations.
“When we initially decided to use our Pride 2020 budget to create a Hardship Grant for marginalised LGBTQIA+ people, we never thought we’d exceed a fund of more than £5,000 at our most ambitious. We have never been so glad to be so wrong.
“Over the last 43 days that the fund has been live, we have been finding ourselves incredibly moved by the amount of generosity within our wider LGBTQIA+ community. We’ve been able to give out 111 grants so far, with an additional at least 40 grants to be paid out tomorrow.
“Because of the kindness of our community, we could offer immediate and direct financial relief to the most hard hit in our community – queer people with disabilities, those who are homeless, migrants, refugees, BIPOC, sex workers, low income and unwaged.
“We know however, that it stems beyond kindness, that our community is invested in seeing this project be a success. It’s because the injustices of capitalism can be felt by the most marginalised in our community, and all of us together understand the need of wealth redistribution.
“It’s because our community understands with such immense love and depth the need for mutual aid, for supporting each other in these incredibly difficult times.”
To apply to receive one of the hardship funds, a person must first be part of London Bi Pandas’ Facebook group.
Read related myGwork articles here:
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COVID-19: What does a global pandemic mean for vulnerable LGBTQ+ people?
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