Equality for All Foundation (EFAF)

Equality for All Foundation (EFAF) is the foremost human rights and social justice organization which advocates for the rights, livelihood, and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people in Jamaica. Throughout our 26-year history, our work has sought to build a Jamaican society that respects and protects the rights of everyone. Our board and staff are committed to promoting social change, empowering the LGBTQ+ community, and building tolerance for and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people.

As a part of our mission, Equality Jamaica has since 2015 successfully held ten (10) incident-free PrideJA celebrations (held from August 1 to 6) by curating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ Jamaicans to come together and celebrate their identity and being. Despite a long history of queer clubs & bars since the 70s in Jamaica, most of these spaces have never been able to last longer than a few years. For the LGBTQ+ community in Jamaica, where homophobia and transphobia remain widespread, safe spaces like PrideJA and events hosted by community leaders are some of the few places where our community can come together and be ourselves as a respite from the challenges of violence, stigma, and discrimination that many of us face on a daily basis. PrideJA has stood as a symbol of resistance as we proudly claim our queer identities and our Jamaican identities.

Three years ago, the organization embarked upon its Pride Share initiative, which saw us allowing more community leaders to host various events under the PrideJa banner as we encouraged increased community involvement in the overall planning and execution of activities. Some of these events include a Pride Forum, Health Fair, Fashion Show, the first-ever ballroom event, Doll Ball, and events specifically catering to trans people and queer women.

Funding opportunities, particularly for community-building-related activities like PrideJA, are few, and recent events have exacerbated that reality. These are critical in building and maintaining community spirit and morale. To ensure the sustainability of PrideJA, we seek, with your help, to raise US$40,000 over the next few months to make this year’s celebration a reality.”