December 21, 2024. We are thrilled to announce that Yield Giving has made a donation to strengthen the work of our organization. We have received this news with immense gratitude, as it is the largest donation in our organization’s history. This support will enable us to continue strengthening our efforts to defend the rights of individuals with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and/or expressions in Colombia, as well as to advance key initiatives promoting LGBTIQ+ rights across the Americas and the Caribbean.
Hundreds of people will benefit from this donation, particularly those involved in our community, cultural, artistic, and rights recognition initiatives hosted in the Caribe Afirmativo Houses located in Maicao (La Guajira), Valledupar (Cesar), Ciénaga (Magdalena), Barranquilla (Atlántico), Cartagena (Bolívar), El Carmen de Bolívar (Bolívar), Montelíbano (Córdoba), and Medellín (Antioquia). Additionally, this donation will strengthen our work in regions where we do not have physical offices but operate initiatives to improve the living conditions of LGBTIQ+ individuals, such as in Cúcuta (Norte de Santander), Popayán (Cauca), Urabá (Antioquia), Riohacha (La Guajira), among other departments and regions in Colombia.
For Caribe Afirmativo, this donation is historic and significant. For 15 years, we have tirelessly worked to defend the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals in Colombia, making great efforts to expand our organization’s reach. Our aim is to ensure that our position in the country aligns with our growing capacity to help more individuals with diverse sexual orientations, identities, and/or expressions build lives of dignity and free from violence.
Aligned with our mission — the essence of our purpose — this donation is a major achievement for the individuals we serve and for those who make our work possible. It strengthens our team’s capacity and skills to respond effectively while respecting personal and collective care in carrying out actions such as:
- Providing psychosocial and legal support to activate justice pathways and restore rights.
- Implementing community, artistic, and cultural initiatives to promote affirmative actions for recognizing the rights of those living their lives through sexual and gender diversity.
- Monitoring and tracking violence against LGBTIQ+ individuals in Colombia to raise awareness and protect their lives.
- Monitoring migration contexts in the Americas and the Caribbean, where violence against gender-diverse individuals is increasing.
- Advocating — through multiple avenues — for the establishment of stable and lasting peace in Colombia, defending the Peace Agreement between the FARC-EP and the Government of Colombia, and honoring the legacy of the Truth Commission and its recommendations for building a culture of peace.
This donation represents a significant achievement for our organization and for the defense of LGBTIQ+ rights in Colombia. The country is recognized in Latin America for its legislative advancements in sexual and gender diversity but also remains one of the most violent against those who challenge the cisgender and heteronormative system.