A definition of mutual aid that we love is from Big Door Brigade:

Mutual aid is a term to describe people giving each other needed material support, trying to resist the control dynamics, hierarchies and system-affirming, oppressive arrangements of charity and social services. Mutual aid projects are a form of political participation in which people take responsibility for caring for one another and changing political conditions, not just through symbolic acts or putting pressure on their representatives in government, but by actually building new social relations that are more survivable.

Charitable giving often involves well-resourced individuals and organizations providing different forms of support to under-resourced individuals, often through processes that require support recipients to prove that they are deserving of the support, meet certain rules or guidelines, provide their intent for the support, and/or showcase (and, therefore, relive) traumatic experiences. As a result, charitable giving is rooted in a top-down, paternalistic approach to providing various forms of assistance that perpetuate numerous forms of oppression and violence.

Mutual aid, on the other hand, is about communities pooling resources and redistributing those resources to those in need, without questions asked or demands for jumping through specified hoops. Mutual aid is deeply reliant on trust and is centered on providing care in a way that is horizontal, immediate, and disruptive of “normative” modes for providing assistance.

Individuals who are at the intersection of being young, Black, and a part of the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus) community face number of conditions that foreclose their ability to sustain healthy, thriving lives. These conditions include, but are not limited to, disproportionate rates of homelessness, disproportionate rates of food insecurity, and increased vulnerability to poor mental health. In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, these conditions have been exacerbated, making it even more urgent to provide immediate care for this population.

Additionally, as Black, queer people under 30, we wanted to provide support for those who look like us. We know that we would not be here without the care of Black LGBTQ+ elders, and we want to honor that by contributing to an ecosystem invested in nurturing Black LGBTQ+ futures.

Right now, we’re operating under the assumption that those who are requesting funds from the @EmptyYour Mutual Aid Fund self-identify as Black LGBTQ+ youth. While abiding by an “honor system” is not a perfect process, we refuse to opt into the violence of establishing logics of validating Blackness, queerness and/or transness, etc. and the violence of replicating the charitable sector interrogation of deservingness, intent, etc. before providing support.

While we do not choose to honor requests for funds from accounts that show signs of being illegitimate, we generally honor any and all requests for funds that we receive.

Black LGBTQ+ Youth (16-24) can request direct (Venmo/CashApp) 💵 funds for whatever they want until this fund runs out. This request form may periodically be paused if fund requests begin to outpace incoming fund contributions.

1. Requests are processed at the end of each month.
2. We’re processing 1 request per individual.
3. We’re able to send approved fund requests through Venmo OR CashApp, and currently are not able to send funds through any other methods.

The mutual aid fund is only available so long as funds are available. To ensure that funds are available for as long as possible to support as many individuals as possible, we only provide funds in the specified amounts.

To protect the sustainability of the fund and to ensure as many individuals as possible benefit, we will only honor one request per individual.

The @EmptyYour Venmo and Cash App handles will always be open for donations.

Our goal is to redistribute funds for as long as funds are available.

Spread the word about the mutual aid fund far and wide within your networks. Assets for boosting the @EmptyYour mutual aid fund are available here: linktr.ee/emptyyourvenmoFUND

If you have a question that has not been answered above, feel free to contact us via Instagram DM at @plantasia_barrino and/or @lincolnmondy.