By Julia Duranti-Martinez

In recognition and celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, LISC’s Institute for Community Power delves into the intersections between the work of community development and that of queer and trans communities across the country around housing, land use, economic mobility and much more. In the piece that follows, Julia Duranti-Martinez, senior program officer for Community Research and Impact and a member of LISC's LGBTQ+ affinity group, highlights some of the struggles and triumphs of LGBTQ+ people and communities in the context of our sector, and of our society as a whole—and points to the paths leading to progress.

By Dan McConvey

In honor of Pride Month, Dan McConvey, a member of LISC’s development team, reflects on the actions we must take to center and celebrate the lives and needs of LGBTQ+ people in our work with communities, and within our organization.

One n ten, a Phoenix non-profit and LISC partner, serves a wide range of LGBTQ+ young people, many of them homeless, with food, hygiene supplies, resource navigation and a sympathetic ear. And during the darkest days of the pandemic, they helped clients understand that social distance doesn’t have to mean social isolation.

As our country celebrates LGBTQ pride, we're focusing on some of the challenges for LGBTQ people living in rural America. Community developers are in a key position to support LGBTQ rural residents as part of our work helping build flourishing and inclusive communities.

Town Hall Apartments in Chicago is an extraordinary—and rare—example of affordable housing geared for LGBTQ+ seniors, many of whom enter their later years with few resources after a lifetime of discrimination. It’s community development at its best, helping people access opportunities and stabilize their lives. In recognition of LGBTQ+ History Month, we throw a spotlight on Town Hall and hope it will serve as a path-breaking model for communities everywhere.