Matria and LGBT Communities

For a world of equity Contact Us

31 Jiménez Sicardó Floor 1 Caguas PR 00725 info@proyectomatria.org T. 787.704.2222

SINCE 2004

PROYECTO MATRIA

Matria and the fight for equity in Puerto Rico Since 2004, Matria offers housing and economic development services to women who are head of household or who are overcoming gender violence.

From that same year, lesbian and trans women had access to its services and to the opportunity to be in an organization in which gender perspective, human rights and equity are the axis of each action. From that experience with LGBT women, Matria has started three programs that serve the particular needs of this community. www.proyectomatria.org

"WHEN WE, AS FEMINISTS, SPEAK ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, WE ARE THINKING AND WORKING FOR EVERY ONE OF US, AND THAT INCLUDES WOMEN FROM LGBT COMMUNITIES"

Gaia ArcoĂ­ris Our transitional housing program is currently one hundred percent dedicated to people from LGBT communities. Our current participants, trans and lesbian women, have found in Gaia ArcoĂ­ris a safe housing space, support for studying, business incubation services, empowerment workshops and psychosocial services.

We coordinate legal and medical services, as well as advocacy before public and private agencies.

In Gaia ArcoĂ­ris we offer housing vouchers for six to 24 months to LGBT people overcoming domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.

Health, housing, economic development and other essential services, has been systematically denied to LGBT communities in Puerto Rico.

The lack of those services, makes them more vulnerable to violence.

IGEA Our Institute of Gender and Advanced Education was established as part of Matria's programs in 2013.

Since that year, we have been preparing professionals in social work, psychology and law to adequately serve people in the LGBT communities.

We also work with private and public agencies to train their personnel in LGBT rights, human resourses and services adapted to LGBT families.

Each year, IGEA makes what we call "IGEA Light". Those are public forums in which we discuss current issues that affects LGBT human rights. www.institutodelgenero.com

In todays Puerto Rico, the work for LGBT human rights is one of the most important fights. This struggle is directly related to what is the heart of a democracy in which individual liberties and human dignity are considered supreme values.

Amare Amare means "to love" and that is one of this programs goals. Amare works for the prevention of hate crimes. Its main goals are: (1) Increasing the number of persons that commit to identify hate crimes and report them (2) Increasing the number of organizations commited to offer adapted and sensitive services to victims of hate crime (3) Bringing hate crime victims to explore legal actions to claim their rights (4) Creating a group of volunteers to follow up the workshops that will be given throughout Puerto Rico ww.amarematria.org

LGBT people in Puerto Rico are one of the groups most vulnerable to hate crimes. The hate speech of religious sectors, the attempts of the Legislature to approve discriminatory legislation and the lack of knowledge on issues of equity make them an easy target of the violence that is born of homophobia.

Other programs Matria also has a business incubator called Libera and a permanent housing program, Gaia. Both programs actively recruit trans and lesbian women.

All Matria programs have been prepared to identify and address the needs of participants of LGBT communities. Our psychosocial services also address the effects of discrimination and gender violence to empower our participants and help them overcome violence and poverty.

We believe in a more just and equitable society in which each human being can be respected in spite of our differences and where everyone has access to the goods and services we need to achieve our well-being and happiness.

Activism Matria has always worked at two levels: Direct service and activism for human rights. We recognize structural inequalities and the need to transform society at all levels so that LGBT people can fully exercise all their human rights and achieve a state of wellbeing.

We were cofounders of the Broad Movement of Women (MAMPR-2007) and in 2013 we cofounded the Broad Committee for the Search for Equity (CABE). CABE is a collective of organizations and people working to protect and advance the human rights of LGBT communities.

We sure have a gay agenda : Equity is the agenda!