From M.V. Lee Badgett: At the end of Koppa’s first year, I’ve been reflecting on the insights gleaned from discussions, things I’ve read, and the work we’ve been doing at Koppa - The LGBTI+ Economic Power Lab to expand LGBTI+ economic power. One theme stands out to me: the queer circle of care. Queer for Queer founder Hrvoje Kondzic used this term when he told me his own story of being a refugee and why he created programs to improve the livelihoods of LGBTI+ migrants.
My community of feminist economists (International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE)) has written for decades about the economic importance of care labor — work done not just for pay but because of some other emotional value we get from it. A lot of care work is unpaid, so it doesn’t show up in GDP. But I would argue it’s the work that makes life worth living. It’s the work we do for each other that is essential to keep us fed, healthy, safe, and loved.
This year, I’ve seen how care shows up in economic empowerment work. The circle of care drives LGBTI+ entrepreneurs to hire other LGBTI+ people. Care drives volunteers who give back to community organizations with their time, energy, and knowledge. Care is built into the foundation of mutual aid groups of LGBTI+ refugees who help feed, house, and support each other in tough environments. Care for each other makes it possible to survive when families, communities, laws, and public institutions fail us.
Now the importance of care work in LGBTI+ lives is starting to show up in research, in development institutions, and in the start-up phase of Koppa. It’s one of the ideas that we’ll be using in our work to create a broad and caring ecosystem to generate LGBTI+ economic power.
Thank you all for walking down this road with us and with LGBTI+ communities in 2024. Rest up — we have a lot to do when 2025 rolls around! You can read more about our autumn activities on our latest newsletter--Fabrice C Houdart, Kelly Widelska, Philip R. Crehan, Justus Eisfeld, Amar N. have been busy, too!
https://lnkd.in/eZbr6jx3
