Human Rights Campaign Foundation Announces “Artists for Equality” Auction to Support Work Advancing Transgender Rights

by Meghan Olson •

Online auction to take place between September 30 - October 14, featuring artwork from Derrick Adams, Cassils, Anthony Goicolea, Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Deborah Kass, Cindy Sherman, Kiki Smith and more.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC Foundation) — the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — announced the launch of “Artists for Equality,” an online art auction on Artsy taking place between September 30 - October 14, 2021. Every dollar raised from this event will directly support HRC Foundation’s efforts to advance rights for transgender people -- in schools, workplaces, healthcare settings and beyond. This work includes our Transgender Justice Initiative (TJI) which leads economic empowerment programs, capacity-building initiatives, community engagement efforts and public safety education campaigns to combat the discrimination faced by transgender people.

Works by more than 33 well-known artists will be for sale, including pieces by Derrick Adams, Anthony Goicolea, Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Deborah Kass, Cindy Sherman, Kiki Smith and Cassils. Other featured artists include Donald Baechler, Ross Bleckner, Chris Bogia, Deborah Buck, Roman Cochet, Deborah Czeresko, Kendrick Daye, Lesley Dill, Jack Early, Yishay Garbasz, Breyer P-Orridge/Eric Heist, Clarity Haynes, Sheree Hovsepian, Nicholas Howey, Tommy Kha, Clifford Prince King, Phoenix Lindsey-Hall, Kalup Linzy, Nancy Lorenz, Patrick McMullan, Sean Mellyn, Kenneth Pietrobono, Theo A. Rosenblum and Chelsea Seltzer, Shikeith, Gwen Shockey and Rob Wynne.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is so grateful to these extraordinary visual artists for supporting our work advancing transgender justice. Trans and gender non-conforming people have been under attack in statehouses across the country and in the streets. We are on track to see more violent deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people this year than any year before, making our work supporting the community more important than ever. By raising funds for this critical work, ‘Artists for Equality’ demonstrates the power art really has to make a difference and save lives.

Tori Cooper, Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative.

Since 2013, more than 200 transgender and gender non-conforming individuals have been killed in the United States and at least 37 in 2021 so far. Even in the face of this physical danger, anti-transgender lawmakers are fueling stigma with an unprecedented number of bills targeting young people. Despite this, trans and non-binary people are more visible than ever, in schools, workplaces, churches and communities large and small. But until we as a country collectively address and dismantle these barriers, transgender and non-binary people will continue to face higher rates of discrimination, poverty, homelessness and violence.

The HRC Foundation is working to end the stigma that fuels this violence and honor those who have been killed with action. TJI’s work includes the “Who’s Hiring” webcast series, which highlights current employment opportunities for trans and non-binary job seekers; the Elevate Fellowship to advance the leadership of Black and Latinx transgender women in the South by effectively increasing their capacity to navigate and improve public health systems; ACTIVATE, a professional development program designed for Black, Latinx and BIPOC trans and non-binary community leaders; our Youth Ambassadors, who give voice to the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people; and our Parents for Transgender Equality Council, which advocates for the rights of trans and non-binary children and teens.

The Human Rights Campaign reports on news, events and resources of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation that are of interest to the general public and further our common mission to support the LGBTQ+ community.

Contact Us

To make a general inquiry, please visit our contact page. Members of the media can reach our press office at: (202) 572-8968 or email press@hrc.org.