On December 19, indie pop duo Tegan and Sara announced the launch of the Tegan and Sara Foundation—an organization dedicated to fighting for economic justice, health, and representation for LGBTQ girls and women.
“We started the foundation to dismantle the systems of inequity that prevent LGBTQ girls and women from reaching their full potential,” the duo stated on their website.
According to the foundation’s website, LGBTQ girls and women are disproportionately affected by poverty. Twenty-three percent of lesbian women live in poverty. Women of color are three times more likely to live in poverty than white, LGB women. Transgender women are four times more likely to have a household income under $10,000 and twice as likely to be unemployed. One in five transgender women have reported being homeless at some point in their lives.
Tegan and Sara were inspired to create their charity while touring in support of their new album, Love You to Death. Each night, they met with fans, youth activists, legislators and non-profits working to promote LGBTQ equality, they said. The duo drew inspiration and support from similar charities, including the Astraea Foundation, the Audre Lorde Project, Equality North Carolina, and GLAAD.
“Through the Tegan and Sara Foundation, we can be proactive with our support rather than wait to react to discrimination as it occurs,” the duo said. “We will support the work of other organizations who have been fighting for LGBTQ and women’s rights by raising funds and awareness for their initiatives.”
For more information on the Tegan and Sara Foundation, visit www.teganandsarafoundation.org. You can also make a donation to the foundation here.